Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds
by wildstraydog
Summary: Jaune wasn't a very skilled individual, often in the shadow of his talented seven sisters. Yet despite his lack of ability, he was desperate to contribute to his family name in some capacity. It was then that he discovered another role on the battlefield against the Grimm - as a field medic. In his second year at medical school, Jaune is handpicked to follow a team at Beacon.
1. The Rigorous Test

Not Even Aura can heal all Wounds

By wildstraydog

Chapter One: The Rigorous Test

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

 **Here it is everyone, it's been a long time coming I know. The research I did was actually very insightful, and will help this story when I try to depict realistic battles that result in mortal wounds. This is about Jaune being a medic after all, he's going to see some carnage.**

 **This story will be replacing Man's Best Friend, at least until I figure something about that story, because I don't want to just pump out chapters without a clear goal in mind (remember when that happened?). This is sort of a redemption for me in a way, because now that my writing has greatly improved, I can do a proper Jaune and Weiss story.**

 **In other news, I also put up on my profile potential story ideas that will eventually hit the site, I even got an idea about Jaune being Glynda's son, but we'll see how that goes. I hope you guys enjoy this, a lot of work went into it – at least in my opinion.**

All of his life, Jaune Arc thought he amounted to nothing. Well almost nothing. He didn't share that same sentiment anymore, but growing up in the Arc household was a burden that others shouldn't have to experience.

Most would balk at the idea of seven sisters in one family, it was hard to swallow even for him, but that didn't dissuade the Arc's from accomplishing nothing short of greatness... except for him anyway. It was almost tradition for each child to go on and become an idol for all to admire. His eldest Sister was one of the top huntresses in Remnant, tasked with only the most dangerous missions. His Father and Mother were so proud, always bragging about her to potential suitors or friends.

Two more of his Sisters would also go on to become recognizable huntresses, going on to lead formidable teams of top-ranking hunters. And the third of his older Sisters went on to create a successful business of selling unique weapon parts across the kingdoms. In short, they were looked upon by their long line of ancestors as fulfilling the Arc legacy, earning the utmost praise from his family... and then there was him.

Just as it was before, his training began at the age of ten, his father leading him out into the dense forest area outside their quaint little town to become a real man. The memory was still burned into his mind, though not for the best of reasons. His father ordered him to do menial exercises such as sit-ups, before shoving a stick into his scrawny little arms in an attempt to show an ounce of potential in the arts. It was all to no avail of course; he was just too clumsy and ill-fitted to become a true huntsman, and his Father couldn't fathom it.

Three years later, his Father would give up on him, not just in training, but generally any support. As for his Sisters, they looked upon him with disdain, labeling him the failure of the great Arc family. He would have cracked under the pressure if not for his mother, who no matter what he didn't achieve, still loved him to a fault. And when his younger Sisters began to arrive, the days would get better, and his Father would move on to honing their latent skills.

Not until his fifteenth birthday did he actually realize that his lack of abilities would continue to haunt him. His grades in school were average, and he wasn't the most popular, sometimes the victim of bullying from other children, especially when it came to his incompetence to carry the torch of fame the other members of the family gained – essentially he became isolated. The only one who truly cared about the abuse was his Mother and younger Sisters, while his father chastised anyone for coddling a weakling.

He remembered crying outside in the shack for nights.

The months went by and the impending date of his graduation wasn't far off, and each day brought a sense of restlessness. Jaune was unable to see his future, weighed down by the ridicule from his own family and peers. At this point, he actually went to his oldest sister, Olive, for advice, hoping that she might have sympathy for his cause. To his surprise, she actually decided to give him some words of wisdom.

 _Find whatever passion drives you._

Simple words, but enough for him to sleep on. And that was when his mother brought home a pile of books that were tossed out by their library for donation. Because of his lonely childhood, Jaune found reading one of the best ways to escape from reality and enjoy the adventures within. So when his mother encourage him to look through the selection, he did, and that was when he found _that_ book.

Jaune lifted up the text and noticed its age, the gray binding rough around the edges and the corners bent. The cover was simple, with the title printed in bold letters that read: _Applications of Medical Techniques in the Field._ He would have passed it off as another boring textbook, but when he opened it up and blew off the dust, a symbol caught his attention. A strange coiled up snake circling bright lights, and underneath it a small motto. When he read it aloud, his life changed forever.

 _To protect those without means, serving the warriors of old when none dare to venture into darkness. We are their shield, and they the sword, for not even aura can heal all wounds._

Such powerful words anchored his heart immediately, the overall effect leaving him to gawk at the book. A normal fifteen year old might have brushed it off, tossed the literature aside and moved on to tales of grandeur about knights and princesses, but Jaune found his soul renewed. He flipped to the first introductory page and read for hours.

He was mesmerized by the material, finding somehow that it connected to what he wanted to do in life. The book consisted of a manual for licensed field medics who assisted huntsman and huntresses, along with practical theories. A part of Jaune had always wanted to satisfy his family, to show them that he could still be useful for the greater cause in Remnant – he decided this was the path. So he continued to read and study, pouring into hundreds of books regarding the same line of work.

Funny enough, once he found his calling, Jaune noticed his grades begin to improve. By the time he turned sixteen, he submitted an application to the Vale Medical Preparatory Academy. Whatever his chances were, he didn't care, only that it gave him a sense of purpose in the world. Life was beginning to pick up, his Mother and younger Sisters were proud of him, and when the school accepted his application, he broke down in tears.

None of it was good enough for his Father.

When he showed the acceptance letter, the gruff older man snatched it from his weak fingers and ripped it up, glowering from above. His mother erupted into a fit of rage at his actions, and they argued for hours. Jade and Canary, his two older sisters began to make fun of him, amounting all of his work to child's play. He was dejected, and for the rest of the night he sat in his room and sulked.

He could still remember some of the taunts. "A medic? How very like you Jaune, always a weakling," Jade scoffed, while Canary nodded in agreement with a sneer.

Leaving was for the best.

Vale was nothing like he ever experienced, his small town paling in comparison to the massive vistas. The lifestyle was much faster, citizens rushing back and forth to their destinations, while Jaune was left in awe. He couldn't count how many shops he passed, nor the amount of beautiful women. Call a silly dream, but the one thing he wanted the most, was a girlfriend, someone to appreciate him and to support his goals.

Was it too much to ask for?

Again he would be struck with amazement when he was greeted by the campus situated at the northern end of the city. A large spiraling tower in the shape of a horn sat in the middle, while on each side were buildings of various sizes, noticeable by their brick layouts. A bountiful greenhouse was in the corner, and the walkway to the dormitories reminded him of a temple. The architecture itself stood apart from the rest of the kingdom, resembling older designs and monolithic in nature.

Unlike most of the academies across Remnant, Vale's Medical Preparatory Academy started off students at the age of sixteen. The first year afforded them more traditional studying and lectures before thrusting them in real world scenarios. For the most part, Jaune did very well, and his grades were in the range of A's and B's. He even managed to make a few friends, well, more like acquaintances. Now in his second year, he didn't expect for the shocking announcement at the end of class.

He didn't think he was quite ready.

The professor set his chalk down and sat his bag on top of the round oval desk in the middle of the classroom. He pulled out a stack of papers and handed it to one of the students at the bottom to pass around.

"Students, the first week of the second year is over, but I'm proud of your progress, which is why I'm excited to share this news with you all." Jaune hated surprises.

"The time has come," the professor smiled, "Starting Monday, you will all be assigned to a team at Beacon Academy for a joint exercise to test your skills." Gasps and cheers erupted from the room, while Jaune turned pale at the news.

They were being assigned to actual hunters in-training? He couldn't believe it, the feeling was surreal. Sure he had been studying for this since two years ago, but it was all happening so fast. Was he even ready - what if he let someone get seriously injured? So many thoughts ran in his mind as he massaged his forehead. A comfortable warmth brought him out of his rut, and he turned to see Tawny.

One of the brief friendships he held at the school was with Tawny, a fellow second year girl who occasionally gave Jaune helpful tips. She was recognizable by her fierce stare, her dark brown eyes filled with curiosity. Tawny had short shoulder-length orange hair tied into a ponytail and a small nose that accompanied her freckles. She always managed to sport a deadpan expression throughout the day, giving her the appearance of someone who didn't care.

"Why are you freaking out Arc?" she sighed.

"I-I'm not freaking out, just a little nervous is all."

"Don't think your qualified," Tawny let out a snort, "You knew this would happen eventually, why get scared now?" it bugged him how she was always right.

"I know, I know, it's just, the suddenness of it all. I'm confident in my knowledge of medicine, but dealing with actual hunters?! It's such an honor really." Tawny rolled her eyes and waved off his comment.

"An honor? They aren't gods Jaune, just trained combatants."

"Tell that to my family," he muttered. Jaune wanted to accept her comment, but being on the same battleground with the Grimm excited him. That wasn't crazy right?

"So how are you preparing for Monday?"

"Nothing," She curtly responded, "I'm going to relax, perhaps read a couple of books, maybe watch a movie." She never changed.

"But you're not going to study?"

"Says the boy who plays video games most of his days and rarely go outs to socialize. I think we'll be okay Jaune." For a second, Jaune thought he saw her lips slightly twitch, almost forming a rare smile.

"Hey, you can't judge me for that, you always barge in and watch me play games as well!" it was true, from time to time, Tawny, would just invite herself in and crash on his bed, chewing on potato chips in silence.

"It's fun to watch you get killed from time to time. Look, we'll be okay, just relax – trust me."

So Jaune did just that. Instead of studying into the late hours of the night, he plopped himself down on his favorite red bean bag and played video games. He felt no stress, and enjoyed probably one of the last weekends of free time he would have. Before going to sleep, Jaune had a ritual, a simple one he couldn't escape. Every night, he would write a letter to his younger Sisters and Mother, detailing his progress at the academy. He often wondered how many of them were actually received.

When Monday arrived, the alarm on the side of his bed was the loudest he remembered. Jaune found himself rolling onto the floor and colliding face-first into the carpet. That was when he noticed – he was three minutes late. Clichés aside, Jaune, ran like a bat out of hell and got dressed into his uniform. Luckily all of his supplies were accounted for and in his satchel, so he didn't waste time leaving the dorms.

By some miracle, Jaune made it in time to the Dust-ships, and spotted an open seat next to Tawny. She looked at him in disbelief and continued to stare out the window. While the trip was short, Jaune had no sense of time as he spent most of it in the bathroom. Known as the Arc family curse, the esteemed hunters bore the weakness of motion sickness. A horrible pain to bear, especially when he missed breakfast; so far the day was not turning out so great.

 _Can this day get any worse,_ Jaune thought as he belched.

His episode passed as they landed at Beacon Academy, so he was unable to take in the sights, but when he got off the ship, he almost dropped his bag. So many emotions swelled up from within from bearing the sight of a school he thought he would never see. Beacon was magnificent, it was everything he dreamed of, and he could see the CCT from the port. The size of the campus was enormous compared to his school.

Students of all ages and ethnicities, including Faunus, walked about and chatted. Beacon's uniforms were much more colorful; Jaune's consisted of a black undershirt with a white jacket on top, long white pants with multiple pockets and zippers, and the satchel he carried. On the right side of the jacket was the school insignia, which coincidentally was the same symbol he saw in the book.

In his excitement, Jaune realized that he was lost. But it only took a few minutes until he spotted the rest of the group heading for a large cylindrical building. When he joined up with everyone, he located Tawny again and approached from behind. It was then he noticed how few of his classmates were actually in the room, and after counting he deduced only ten of them were actually in attendance.

"Where's everyone else?" Jaune whispered.

Tawny let out a sigh, "I'll fill you in because you got lost - The rest of our class was slotted for different schools."

"So there's only ten of us here?!" That meant he was one of the lucky few who was handpicked for Beacon. He counted his blessings, never being the one to have such luck.

The gossiping faded when a tall blonde woman with glasses entered the room, adjusting her glasses to look at the students below. Based on appearance alone, Jaune thought she was a very proper woman, someone who followed the rules by the book – someone he could respect.

"Good morning guests," She announced with an authoritative voice, "My name is Professor Glynda Goodwitch, and I welcome you to Beacon Academy." That name was very familiar, though he couldn't remember why.

"As you were instructed back in Vale, each of you will be assigned to a team. You are to shadow this team in missions and provide any medical assistance when necessary. But please, exercise caution." The tone Professor Goodwitch took was soft and caring, helping dissuade his uneasiness.

They sat and waited as each student was called up to be given their team designation, Glynda's booming voice echoing in the room. "Tawny Daffodil, you shall be assigned to team PNRN, led by Pyrrha Nikos." Tawny nodded and walked up to accept a sheet of paper from Glynda.

"Jaune Arc," her green eyes settled on him as he blushed, "You will be assigned to... team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose." Was that a disgruntled look on her face?

"Um, thanks."

"You're welcome, Mr. Arc." Jaune accepted the slip and walked back down the steps. Only the names and dorm room number were listed. But there was one name that stood out – Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. It was impossible not to know her.

"Now that you've been assigned, you will meet with a representative of the team in the next room. I wish you all good luck." Everyone scattered, including Tawny who briefly waved goodbye.

This was the day his career started.

* * *

Blake hated to be put on the spot, so when she was volunteered to be the team representative for whatever asinine event the school was planning, she was more than a little displeased. Very little had even been revealed about the so-called "team exercise", that Ozpin announced at the beginning of the semester. She didn't know what to expect, nor was she interested; there were far more important matters to worry about.

"Excuse me," An unfamiliar voice asked. Blake turned to the right and was greeted by a blonde boy wearing a strange white uniform. "Are you Blake Belladonna by any chance?"

"Yes... and you are?"

"Jaune, Jaune Arc, I was assigned to your team as a medic. Did the school not tell you?"

Now this was a surprise. "No, I haven't heard a thing. I don't recognize the uniform, are you one of the students coming for the Vytal Festival?" She didn't usually judge others by their appearances, but he didn't stand out. His messy blonde hair was normal for a boy, and his only distinguishing characteristic was his deep ocean blue eyes.

"Actually, I'm not a huntsman, I'm from the Vale Medical Preparatory School. This is kinda awkward huh?" She watched as he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled, perhaps a nervous twitch. A medic though?

"I was told you would introduce me to the rest of your team?"

"Yes, follow me." Blake was still unsure of what to think.

The first question that sprung to mind was, why assign a medical student to a team of hunters in-training? Was there an ongoing agreement between the two schools? There was no telling how her team would react to the news, not when she was still trying to process it. She didn't have time for childish exercises, not when the White Fang were out there continuing their operations with Torchwick.

"Hey Blake," the boy named Jaune mumbled, "Are you not uncomfortable?"

"I don't understand?"

"Does constricting your ears under that bow not hurt?" She froze, stopping in the middle of the hall, Jaune bumping into her back.

"What did you say?"

"I... asked if-" He fumbled.

Upon instinct alone, Blake, forced Jaune against the wall with both hands and stared him down, her golden eyes piercing his blue ones "Who told you that I was a Faunus?" sweat poured down his collarbone, and he gulped.

"I... I thought it was just obvious," he quickly muttered. Wait, how it was obvious? Was her bow not that good of a disguise like she thought?

"Your eyes, they have a unique glow, not uncommon to many Faunus. I also noticed the way your bow would twitch sometimes." Blake jumped off of a Jaune, a red flush taking over her cheeks. She was so embarrassed. She couldn't decide if she was mad or impressed.

"I'm... sorry Jaune, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay, I should have known better since you were wearing a bow." He chuckled again, averting his gaze back at the floor.

"Just don't tell anyone."

"I won't, I promise."

The rest of their walk consisted of silence, neither daring to strike up a conversation after the heated tension from before. How could she have conducted herself like that? It must have been stress from all her research. She would have to properly apologize to Jaune later. Thankfully, the cafeteria was in sight, along with her team.

Her partner was better at breaking the ice.

"Blake, there you are, did you figure out what... oh, hello there." Yang stopped mid-sentence as a mischievous grin formed.

"Guys, this is Jaune Arc, he's been assigned to our team as a medic in-training for the time being." Even she said with scrutiny.

"What did you say?!" Weiss slammed her hands on the table. She noticed Jaune flinch from the outburst and back away.

"This is awesome," Ruby cheered, "Hi, I'm Ruby Rose, that's my sister Yang, and the one who yelled is Weiss." The uncertainty on his face before vanished, and he shook Ruby's hand. So far, he seemed nice enough.

"This is preposterous," Weiss snapped, "We have no reason for a civilian to follow us around! What do you think about this Blake?" Honestly, she agreed with Weiss, the boy would only get in their way.

"Aw who cares," Yang interjected, "We got an extra teammate now, and I doubt old Ozpin would just do this on a whim." Just like her partner to dismiss the problem so easily. It was still strange that no official school announcement had been made about the sudden arrangements.

"I won't stand for it."

"Weiss, just give him a chance!" Ruby pleaded. In the corner, Jaune, scratched his cheek and stood back from the table. He appeared like an innocent bystander.

"I'm sorry about this guys." Jaune mumbled.

Before any more protests could be heard from the ice queen, the loudspeakers in the cafeteria hummed on, and the voice of Glynda began to speak. "All students and guests are required to appear in the amphitheater in ten minutes for a special announcement. Your appearance is mandatory, no exceptions will be allowed."

"Looks like we get that explanation Princess," Yang wryly said with a giggle. Weiss rolled her eyes and stood up from the table, leaving the four of them.

"Don't mind her Jaune, she's always like that."

"C'mon lady killer, sit down and tell us a little about yourself," Yang scooted down and tapped the seat right next to her.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

The meeting had been nothing short of a disaster in Jaune's book. He didn't expect a resounding welcome from the four girls at team RWBY, but receiving the cold shoulder definitely hurt his pride. The leader, Ruby, was an energetic ball of quirkiness that he enjoyed, and it astounded him to hear that she was two years younger – she must have been an incredible fighter. Then Yang, the older half-sister, was more of the teasing type. It took little effort for her to make him blush, but he could tell she was a decent person.

The black haired girl on the team, Blake, was hard to decipher. Their introduction was not... the greatest, and in hindsight his question was probably insensitive. She was obviously very touchy on the subject, something he would have to apologize about later. She was quiet and enjoyed to be part of the background, everything he could relate to.

During their brief conversation, she appeared occupied, almost upset; he could only imagine the difficulties of growing up as a Faunus.

The last member, Weiss Schnee, a girl he imagined to be a snot-nosed brat, was anything but. She was prickly, but never had a girl made an impression on him. Her snow white hair was tied into an off-tilted ponytail, while her pale complexion was accented by light-blue eyes. There was a scar on her cheek, but it didn't take away from her breathtaking radiance. Her petite frame was covered by a bolero jacket with red linings and a thigh-length dress that ended in a delicate skirt.

She reminded him of the snow angels he would make outside during the harsh winters back at home.

He didn't end up discussing much with Ruby and Yang, mostly just his field of study and what his school was like. They were stretched for time, so he didn't have much time to divulge anything to personal. Although, it was a little funny when Ruby was flabbergasted by the fact that medics weren't given any customizable weapons.

The amphitheater was huge, filled to the brim with Beacon students at each doorway. Jaune could hardly see anyone he knew among the sea of people, and Yang pushed him further into the crowd with a chuckle. He wasn't the best with crowds, not that it caused him to hyperventilate or anything so extreme – except once back when he was eleven – just the proximity put him on edge, it made him feel out of control.

"If I could have everyone's undivided attention," Jaune heard a calm, adult male voice come from the center of the room. At the center, standing behind a podium, was a gray-haired man with a cane. "Some of you may be confused by the appearance of our guests today, but I assure you this was all planned."

Headmaster of Beacon Academy, the mysterious Ozpin. The only reason Jaune was familiar with the man was because of his Father. They often spoke, which was not surprising given that all of his Sisters went to Beacon. And then he remembered his association with Professor Glynda Goodwitch – she was a close friend of his Mother's.

"As part of a joint operation to increase the safety of any future huntsman or huntress, Beacon has partnered with the Vale Medical Preparatory School. For an indefinite amount of time, each team will be assigned a field medic to ensure the utmost care for our future warriors of Remnant." The room erupted in shocked whispers.

"Tomorrow, each team will be assigned a simple mission to clear out the increasing number of Grimm around the borders." A mission before the beginning of the Vytal Festival... very strange.

"Indefinite?!" Weiss almost screeched, clenching her fists, her knuckles going white as she fumed. The heiress stomped past him, grumbling obscenities under her breath.

"Looks like you're stuck with us Jaune," Yang laughed, nudging him in the shoulder. He would have been happier, but the resentment many of the students seemed to feel put a damper on his spirits. But this was nothing new.

One of the first lessons his class was taught was of the relations between medics and hunters. To call it an uneasy alliance wasn't exaggerating, as many fighters did not see the need for medics on the field. The main argument was that with aura, the use of practical medical techniques was outdated. But that just wasn't true based on what he learned, as aura itself was limited based on the user.

Yet people are stubborn in nature, leading to a clashing of ideologies for decades. That was no different at Beacon, if evidenced by the looks of disgust from some of the students. This was why he didn't know if he was prepared to face actual hunters. Would he even be ready when the Grimm made an appearance? He felt a slight tug on his sleeve and looked to see Ruby, concern written in her bright silver eyes. That eye color was very rare, something not explained by science.

"Jaune, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks."

"What's everyone's problem? I think it's cool to have an extra set of hands to help us along," Yang remarked.

"Not everyone agrees with you," Blake cut in, unfolding her arms and walking over to join them. "To be honest Jaune, I don't see your presence as being necessary, it's just our schools playing nice." That stung a bit, and in truth much of that was probably right.

"No way, I bet Jaune will be real useful!"

"Ruby, we barely know him."

"That doesn't mean he can't help, that's all Jaune wants do." The argument was making him uncomfortable, so he decided to stand between the two and just be honest.

"I'm sorry that I'm intruding, but what Ruby said is true. Why the circumstances that brought me here might not be ideal, I'm here for the best intentions. If nothing else, I hope we can be friends at least." He noticed Ruby beam with excitement at his words, but Blake just released a sigh and nodded.

For now, he could be satisfied with the results.

"Wait a minute," Yang mused aloud, "Where are you sleeping?"

Jaune never thought about his sleeping arrangements. But the thought of sleeping in the same room with four beautiful girls was nerve wracking. How would he be able to sleep, he would be far too filled with anxiety – there was no way Weiss would allow him even ten feet to their dorm room.

"They will be sleeping in the extra dormitories," the voice of Glynda caused him to jolt in surprise, not expecting the professor to walk up from behind. He slightly bowed and hid his blush. There was no denying the young woman's attractive features, not to mention she was an accomplished huntress. Jaune never imagined meeting someone so famous before.

"Aw, too bad, a sleepover would have been fun," Yang pouted.

"Mr. Arc, you should head to your dorm and unpack your things before dinner. I'll be glad to show you the way." He nodded, and turned to wave at his new friends. Getting some alone time before meeting them again for dinner would be nice, that and he didn't know his way around the campus.

"I'll see ya guys."

"Come see us at dinner, I'll leave a special spot just for you," Yang teased, shooting a wink his way. He attempted to hide the blush and walked away with Glynda, chastising himself for being so easy to pick on – then again it was a good looking girl making the jokes.

* * *

Now that he was alone with Professor Goodwitch, he was beginning to miss the outgoing blonde and her Sister. They were really nice, and he never met people so open to friendship, most of the time being ignored once they learned of his last name. The heiress might be upset because of that, she had to have known who he was, or at least heard of his status within the Arc family. His Father was quite vocal of his disappointment, going so far as to announce it at a dinner party.

Not that it mattered, he wasn't invited anyway.

The short walk to his new dorm instantly revealed how gigantic Beacon actually was. His school couldn't compare to the resources a hunter school had at its disposal. It was a little disheartening, but Jaune knew the reality of the situation, so he couldn't really complain. Famous campuses which produced some of the greatest warriors would always receive more funding. They were all here to change that.

When they arrived, he found the door already open, and inside was a spacious room with a single bed in the corner. The sheets were of fine quality, and the pillow looked to be even more comfortable. Jaune didn't pack much, just a set of clothing and some games in case he got any free time. He expected Glynda to bid him farewell, but the stern woman crossed her arms and entered his room.

"How are you adjusting so far, Mr. Arc?"

"I'm, doing ok, just trying not to start a fight." It was awkward talking to Glynda by himself in his room. Out of some modest instinct, he stared at the tiled floor of his room, noticing the plain gray paint that was sprawled haphazardly.

"It is regrettable, but I'm sure you were aware of this when deciding your career path."

"Will it get better?"

Glynda let out sigh, and adjusted her glasses, "In time, just remember that all of you are here to prove the masses wrong. Too many are blinded by their arrogance, especially teenagers." There were days he wanted to boast, to be proud of his strength... a foolish dream.

"Thank you, Professor Goodwitch."

"You probably don't remember me that well, but Jaune, how is your Mother doing?" his eyes lit up for but a moment, and he smiled.

"She's doing well, I haven't really gotten a chance to talk with her this year. I do write her a lot though." He found it embarrassing, but at the same time soothing to talk about his Mother.

"That's good to hear, well, if you need anything else Mr. Arc, just come see me or Headmaster Ozpin for any assistance." She nodded and left his room, leaving him alone to relax. Once again, he was by himself, left to his wandering thoughts as he grabbed all of his belongings and sorted them out.

Beacon was his new home now.

Weiss couldn't believe it, the idea was beyond her understanding, but Ozpin didn't care. Letting in civilians to shadow them on missions? She didn't even know where to begin. Adding a new dynamic to an already shaky team to begin with – it was already asking for trouble. Since the incident at the docks months ago, things weren't exactly _perfect_... she forgave Blake, but any mention of the White Fang resulted in trouble.

And that name, Arc, she knew it. That would make him the only son of the illustrious family, whose Sisters she met before at business parties and balls. But never the son, and she soon learned why once the Father announced his failure to become a successful heir. Weiss never expected to meet him at Beacon of all places, and she didn't intend to become friendly, not when her Father would no doubt hear of the news.

She would keep her distance, not out of hate, but necessity.

 **Whopping first chapter huh? So I'm going to clarify a few things. This story takes place after Volume 1 and basically a day after the food fight in episode 1 of Volume 2, so are you guys still with me?**

 **Team PNRN is still Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, but with the addition of Nebula from team NDGO. Why not I say? Also, because this is an alternate universe, Jaune's family is a little more dysfunctional. He's got complicated issues with his family, and that's ok, because that's what this story is about. Canon-wise, we'll see how far I go into it before diverging, probably still get the dance and stuff but who knows.**


	2. Adamant Ideals

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Chapter Two: Adamant Ideals

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

 **The reception to the first chapter of this story was amazing guys, I can't express how glad I am to see that this idea will prosper. To put this in perspective – it got more reviews in one chapter then my previous stories. I'm going to do my best to ensure that all chapters will be of the same quality. So wish me luck and continue to review guys!**

 **On a more hilarious note, some people have asked what the pairing of this story is. The answer is simple of course, its Jaune and Weiss. Will there be a foil to this relationship? Absolutely, but it will be gradual – as** _ **most**_ **relationships or romantic feelings are.**

 **By the way, I'm looking for some cover art for some of my stories if anyone is interested!**

The events of the day took a toll on Weiss, but she wouldn't allow the sudden arrival of their newest addition to the team ruin the rest of her semester. Dinner was about to begin, and she had no intention to enter the cafeteria with a massive scowl on her face; attracting the attention of other students would only continue to infuriate her. No, she would be calm and collected as any graceful heiress would be.

There was no better way to take your mind off such aching reminders then doing homework. Most would call it a chore, but she considered it a pleasing diversion from reality at times. The sound of pencil scraping across the white note sleeve paper was soothing when accompanied by the peaceful silence that was often rare in her dorm room. The library even was home to other student's shenanigans; chatting away about petty rumors that swirled around the school – especially when they involved her and the rest of her team.

But today was different. Only the second day of the new semester, which meant the Vytal Festival was ever closer; mere weeks away. There was so much to be excited for, from the dance to the main tournament – not to mention incoming transfer students, which weren't all that bad to look at. It was hard to admit, but Neptune Vasilias made a fair impression in their brief introduction. Nobody could blame her - the suave blue-haired boy was quite handsome.

The incessant teasing that followed was aggravating, though most of it came from Yang. Was it so preposterous that she would be infatuated with another male? She was really surprised by her sudden attraction, but as her older sister, Winter, often said, love wasn't picky. Not that she, Weiss Schnee, was in love with the boy – by no means – so there was nothing wrong with harboring a crush.

She could only hope the Mistralian boy would be present at their table.

Weiss heard the sound of the latch to the door open, and the familiar blonde mane of hair belonging to Ruby's older sister became visible. Soon her other teammates followed, all of them wearing a mixture of facial expressions that ranged from cheerful to indifference. The once quiet room was instantly bombarded by noise from the rowdy sisters; she wasn't even paying attention to the nonsensical conversation. Regardless, they were her teammates... and friends.

"Can't you see I'm trying to do homework?"

Yang directed her gaze at Weiss, mouth still opened when she narrowed her lilac eyes. "Sorry," she quipped, "by the way, why the outburst earlier today?" Blake and Ruby drew their attention her way, eyes filled with curiosity. Weiss couldn't fault them for being interested.

"What do you mean, I thought I was awfully clear about why I was upset." Weiss slammed the textbook shut and placed it back in the desk drawer.

"Yang..." Blake tried to warn to no avail. There was no stopping the blonde when she wanted to express an opinion.

"I know what you're talking about Weiss – but you were more rude than usual. So what gives, why the hostile attitude toward Jaune?" She gave out a low sigh and got up from the desk, her fingers tracing the crude chipped wood.

"Arc is not the reason I'm disgruntled."

"So what's the deal? You didn't have to yell at him."

She didn't feel like explaining the core problem she had with Jaune Arc being associated with their team, but she could explain the most obvious. "I already explained this once before – we're taking a civilian worker out into combat with us... someone with no fighting experience against the Grimm. So tell me, what do you think the problem is?"

Yang opened her mouth to say something, but then pursed her lips as she thought of an answer. She knew it was true though, no matter how well-trained Jaune might be in his field, none of his skills mattered; the Grimm didn't discriminate against potential prey. It was in her opinion that letting Jaune traverse with them was a fatal mistake. She didn't have time to babysit while killing the Grimm. And what if he died – she didn't want his death on her hands.

"I take it by your silence you understand."

"That's not fair Weiss," Ruby began to pout, "You don't know what Jaune's capable of! He could be really useful on the team." Oh the logic of a child. Ruby always meant well enough, but she didn't see the bigger picture.

"Ruby makes a fair point, we can't just assume that he'll be useless out there – Aren't you being a little too quick to judge?" Weiss' eyes flickered for a moment, and she realized what Yang was referring to. She was acting like herself at the beginning of the semester.

Was she really being unfair to him? She was just taking into account all the risks involved with bringing an unarmed person into the wilderness. It might be true that she was allowing for other circumstances to influence her decisions; her Father had a way of doing that. A sigh escaped her tiny lips and she flicked away a strand of white hair from her left eye, taking in the curious gaze of Yang. Weiss decided to play along with her teammates.

There was no point in trying to change their opinions.

"Very well, I won't voice any more protests – but that doesn't mean I agree to this situation." She let out a huff and crossed her arms to show her disagreement.

"Sounds good to me," Yang jovially laughed, "I don't know about you girls, but I'm starving!" a low grumble sounded from her stomach.

Going along with the sisters would lessen any complications and disagreements, though she had a feeling that Blake was also not necessarily pleased with the arrangement. Then again her Faunus friend seemed detached the past couple of days, no doubt because of the White Fang incident at the docks. She would have revealed Jaune's past, but none of them would understand the implications of his lineage.

But she held nothing against the boy for it. Weiss knew too well the pressure her family thrust upon her shoulders when she was younger. She could only imagine what Jaune went through; being practically disowned by your family and being labeled a failure from your peers. Alas, there was nothing she could do, and if her Father caught wind of her being friendly with the boy, she would suffer the same fate. Life was cruel like that – in another life they could have been friends.

The rest of her team waited at the door for her to follow, excited for the subpar meals that awaited them at the cafeteria. Her plan would not change; Weiss would continually ignore Jaune Arc and his attempts of befriending her. Yang could complain later, as she always did in the confines of their bedroom. She put on a fake smile and turned off the lights, hoping that Neptune would at least keep her company.

* * *

There was so much to enjoy in the quaint room that Beacon gave him – then again anything compared to his old dorm was seen as magnificent. He was beginning to feel hunger now that he was settled in; most of his personal items and silly little posters of his favorite comic book characters plastered on the wall. And on the shelf that was provided in the room sat the _very_ book that brought him here. Jaune never went anywhere without it – a constant a reminder of his chosen path.

 _Perhaps I'll meet the author one day,_ he thought.

He didn't know what to expect in the cafeteria with a school like Beacon Academy. His imagination was overrun with possibilities; maybe a large buffet of exquisite meals lined up for students to enjoy, or even fancy waiters taking orders at the tables. That was a little bit of exaggeration, but everything was so lavish... except for the people. There was a divide in the team he was paired up with, and the first meeting was a rocky start to their relationship. He could only imagine how Tawny was doing with her team.

Expectations of what to expect were already high as he noticed that the cafeteria was in a whole separate building. Outside there were tons of groups chatting away as they waited in line, and he noticed several glances toward his direction as he drew closer. It had to be his uniform, but he just ignored the whispers, not wanting to fathom what they could be saying. Most of it was probably negative anyway. So instead of waiting in line he stepped to the side and decided to find RWBY.

The first thing he noticed inside was how crowded and noisy the place was. Back at his school, the environment was much calmer, many of the students mostly studying for a big test, with only the exceptional few gossiping. Everyone from different schools were jostling around with trays in hand, as the sound of laughter filled the cafeteria walls. He didn't mind the change of pace, but as he looked around his smile disappeared.

In the right-hand corner of the room near the windows, sat all of the students that were handpicked from his school... none of them with their teammates. There was a clear separation going on between everyone at Beacon, no doubt in part dealing with the same issues that RWBY was facing. He decided to walk over and see for himself what the problem was; funny enough the only person missing at the table was Tawny.

"Uh hey guys," Jaune sputtered out, "why's everyone not with their team?" Some of the students looked up, and stared as if the answer was obvious.

"Jaune, right?" One of the male students asked.

"Yeah."

"Can't you tell? Nobody likes that we just moved in and took up a spot on their team, especially when they think we're useless." He noticed the downward casts that all of them shared as they all began to doubt the purpose of the schools joint exercise.

"Then we need to prove everyone at Beacon wrong." Jaune answered with some conviction, his ocean blue eyes shimmering - It was a little embarrassing that everyone began to laugh.

"Easier said than done."

"Jaune," a familiar female voice yelled, "Over here!"

He turned around to see Yang waving across the room, blonde hair swaying back and forth. Behind her sat the rest of team RWBY and some other Beacon students he didn't recognize – but he did spot Tawny among them.

"Looks like your team might be different." Jaune nodded with a chuckle, and began to make his way past the hordes of people standing in his way.

Closer to the table, Jaune, began to notice some of the others sitting down next to Tawny. The most recognizable of the faces was Pyrrha Nikos – four year champion of the Mistral Regional tournament, it was hard not to know who she was in the Arc household. His Father would always compare them, constantly reminding him that he would never achieve the greatness that she won through hard work. Pyrrha Nikos was still gorgeous in person however.

The person next to Tawny had short orange hair and turquoise colored eyes. She was talking so fast that Jaune could barely understand the sentence, while on the other side was a boy with long black hair tied into a pony tail with a magenta strip on the left side. He wore a long-sleeved green tailcoat with black and gold trims on the sides around his torso, and long light-tan pants. How Tawny was eating between the two was beyond him.

"Take a seat next to me cowboy," Yang teased with a wink, "I'll introduce you everyone." He slid into the chair and smiled.

"How are you liking Beacon Jaune," Ruby asked with some excitement, her eyes filled with hope that he was enjoying himself. He never met someone with so much energy before.

"I'm... doing ok."

"Well since you already know us, let me introduce you to our sister team. Over here is Ren and Nora, while the girl with blue hair is Nebula, and finally we have-"

"Pyrrha Nikos... she's kind of famous where I'm from." As he looked at the champion, he noticed the brightness from her green eyes fade. She held a smile, but it wasn't genuine – had he done something to upset her?

"It's nice to meet you, I'm always happy to meet a fan."

"Hey there Jaune, Yang has told us so much about you, is it true you're a medic, does that mean you can heal all our bruises in the blink of an eye? I had a friend once who carried around a bunch of band aids, but she never really used them a lot." Jaune spoke too soon when he said Ruby was the most energetic girl he ever met.

"Nora... give him a second to meet everyone." The boy named Ren cut in.

The sound of a chair scooting closer filled his ears as he turned to the right to see the girl named Nebula. She had light tan skin, indigo colored hair swept to the left, and mesmerizing olive green eyes. "Hello there, mind if sit here?" Jaune slowly nodded, his attempt at hiding the blush on cheeks in vain. Now that he thought about it, he never expected himself to be surrounded by such beautiful women.

"I'm Jaune," he extended his arm forward, waiting for Nebula to shake. Nebula tilted her head and giggled, grasping it firmly, the unexpected strength catching him off guard. Jaune began to wonder if all the girls at Beacon were that strong. The answer was probably.

"So what kind of mission you think we're getting?" Yang asked in-between bites of her sandwich, the crumbs falling to the table as Weiss let out a grumble.

"Chew with your mouth close please!"

"According to the Headmaster, we'll each be sent to a different part of Vale for routine patrols. Nothing too serious I'm sure." That was good news at least, he didn't think he was ready for a more serious mission. This would be his first time out in the field... and among the Grimm.

"I see you guys have already met Tawny," Jaune mentioned with a quick nod. The orange-haired girl lifted her head up to look at him with the same empty irises.

"Oh, so you two know each other?" Nebula asked.

"Sort of, we're just acquaintances really," Tawny answered. He never considered them close friends, as they hardly ever hung out.

"Acquaintances? Boring." Yang sighed with disappointment.

Before Jaune could further comment on the matter, he noticed two boys approach the table from the entrance with enthusiastic grins. From what he gathered, one of them was a Faunus with distinguishable monkey features. He noticed his furry tail wagging back and forth as he stared at one particular spot on the table in Blake Belladonna's direction. The other boy was tanned-skinned and much taller, sporting an undercut of light blue hair – Jaune would describe him as a pretty boy.

"Hey guys, what's up?" the Faunus asked with enthusiasm as he bounced over to Blake's left side. He twirled an apple on his finger and caught it with his tail, biting a small chunk off with a satisfied smirk.

"Look who it is, our new boy toys," Yang teased.

"Why hello Neptune, it's good to see you again." Jaune noticed the Schnee heiress's face brighten, her tiny lips curving into a rare smile. Well it was rare for him – so far his presence only angered the girl.

Neptune returned a wink with his dark blue eyes and swaggered over to the table. "How've ya been snow angel? Your team caught up in more mischief yet?"

"Hardly, just trying to adjust to our new-" Weiss stole a glance in his direction and turned back to face Neptune. "Arrangements, I'm sure you heard the announcement."

Neptune and the other unnamed boy shifted their attention at Jaune, looking at him in excitement. He didn't have much to go on, but so far they seemed nice... not that he was the best judge of character. Based on their appearances and slight accents, he surmised that they weren't from Beacon, and were part of the pool of transfers coming from other schools for the tournament. It was embarrassing to admit, but he never had any close male friends during his childhood.

Being surrounded by so many different personality types was at first unnerving. He wasn't use to being the center of attention; usually he was jostled by bullies to become the source of ridicule, labeled the "shame of the Arcs", by some. But now it was strangely comforting to be around a group so large. He soon found himself smiling at the prospect of gaining friends within the school, or at least the attempt of doing so.

"Oh, you must be one of those medics then!"

"Um, yeah, my name is Jaune Arc, pleased to meet you."

Sun hopped over the table despite the protest from some of the girls and landed next to his seat. "Sun Wukong, what's it like at a normal school?" he blinked a few times as he processed the question.

 _What did he mean by a normal school? Like a non-huntsman one?_

"Ignore my friend's improper manners," Neptune butted in, "I'm Neptune Vasilias." Jaune accepted his hand and chuckled.

"So what brought you here man? You're kind of ballsy for wanting to go up against the Grimm without knowing how to fight." Much to the dismay of some of the other members at the table based on their reactions, Sun was straightforward.

"Jaune you don't have to answer-" Pyrrha was about to protest, until he shook his head. Why try and avoid the obvious topic on everyone's mind?

"I'm curious as well to be honest," Yang pitched in. Of course she was.

Jaune began to rub the back of his neck, becoming nervous as everyone directed colorful gazes upon him. "Well, you'll all probably think it's stupid."

"No we won't," Ruby practically shouted, "No one here would laugh at your ambitions Jaune." It was hard to pin down the expression Ruby held, her silver eyes not filled with the same childishness as before.

She meant every word... so why couldn't he bear to tell the truth?

"Well, I really just wanted to help people you know? To be honest I was never really strong compared to the rest of my family. But I still felt like making difference – so I decided to become a field medic." A simple enough explanation, and it wasn't entirely a lie.

"Well that's quite admirable," Pyrrha commented.

Most of them nodded their heads in approval, but the look Weiss gave him was that of suspicion. She knew the real story; about his lineage and the disownment, that he was too weak to carry on the family name – yet the heiress said nothing. But why? She could have exposed all of his secrets and let the school know how pathetic he was. There was also the chance she was using it as leverage, but now he was just being paranoid.

"Pretty cool, must have taken a lot of hard work to get where you are. But tell me, have you ever faced down a Grimm before?" Yang questioned, leaning forward in her chair.

"Do they teach self-defense at the Vale Medical Preparatory school?" Nebula mused aloud, placing her finger on her chin.

"Self-defense – not really, we're not trained to be combatants, only to help the wounded on the battlefield." Yang's face was filled with disappointment at the answer, and leaned back.

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" Neptune responded.

"Yeah, I guess, but it's our duty." The look of doubts on the boy's face was similar to the sentiment that many of the other students shared.

"And what happens when we can't save you?" Blake asked. There was no cruelty in her words, nor did Jaune see any malice in her expression.

On the short of amount of time he spent with the group, he could tell that Blake freely expressed her opinions. Her question was one of the many doubts that plagued his mind. How many people in his field died each year? He remembered the long speech at the beginning of the school about the mortality rate of his future profession – it was depressing.

"I'm sure we'll never allow that to happen." Pyrrha said with a reassured smile toward Jaune's direction.

Blake let out a small sigh and muttered, "I hope that's true."

"Jaune, you should get something to eat before the cafeteria closes for the night," Ruby suggested with glee as she led him away from the table.

He was quite hungry, and the inevitable debate that almost started made him nervous. There was a silver lining however, as most of the members from Tawny's team were quite supportive of his actions. Jaune still couldn't believe how fast he was making new friends at Beacon, and it brought a silly thought – what would his life been like if he were a student here? Could he have been a leader for one of the teams, perhaps been neighbors with Ruby and the others?

There was no point in thinking of impossibilities, all that mattered was his position now. He was at Beacon, regardless of how he got there – Jaune had every intention of making his mark at the school, huntsman or not. Ruby's grip tightened around his palm, and unbeknownst to him, a small tear made its way down his left cheek.

* * *

What was the point of school right now? That was what Blake Belladonna kept asking herself so late at night as the rest of her team prepared for bed. Dinner was only a little enlightening when Jaune let slip his reasons for becoming a medic, but honestly it didn't really move her like some of her other friends. She heard the same story before a thousand times; the underappreciated boy or girl who strove to prove everyone wrong.

Not something she could entirely sympathize with.

She had far more pressing matters to attend, starting with investigating the White Fang's movements further. Blake knew she was close, that the first clue would soon make itself available – but not if she was stuck playing as the good student. As much as she enjoyed the company of her team, her concentration was spread thin until she found a connection between Roman Torchwick and her old organization.

The one advantage that Beacon gave her search, was the library, one of the largest sources of information in Vale. It was almost ten o'clock and Yang and the others began to prep for bed, going through the usual routines such as setting the bed and changing into their nightgowns (or in Ruby's case, pajamas). She went along with the act, not wanting to tip them off to her late night excursions.

The first tired sigh escaped from Weiss who closed her textbook with a loud thud, carrying a brighter smile than usual.

"What's got you so happy princess?" Yang mumbled through a yawn. Miraculously her blonde tresses stayed leveled against the pillow.

"Nothing in particular, just ready for bed." Weiss untied her ponytail and let it fell, locks of white hair unfolding against her back.

"Don't give me that," Yang chuckled, "looks like someone got the case of the _blues_." A groan belonging to Ruby escaped from the bathroom – she had to agree, the pun wasn't that great.

"That was horrible, and just because I might find someone else's company preferable doesn't mean I'm suddenly smitten." A nice choice of words from their icy teammate, especially when Blake herself didn't know what to think of Sun.

When she met her fellow Faunus, Sun, had been willing to lend an ear to her problems. Even when she revealed her past connections to the White Fang, he didn't judge her, simply regarding it as a past transgression – it also didn't hurt that he was good looking. However she didn't have time for a relationship, at least not a proper one. She wouldn't lead him on unnecessarily, not when she was consumed by finding the truth.

"So what about you Blake, did seeing Sun get you all hot and bothered like Weiss? I didn't know you were into muscularly men."

"Please, I don't have a type, and it was nice seeing him I guess." Yang tilted her head at her response.

"Blake, what's got you so upset?" _damn,_ Blake thought. She allowed her emotions to unfurl a little.

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"It was cool seeing them again," Ruby happily said as she hopped out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand, "having Jaune around also made for a good company, don't you agree Yang?" her partner nodded, rolling her eyes as Ruby brushed her teeth in the middle of the room.

"There wasn't much to go off to be honest," she surprisingly said out loud, "he appears to be kind, but he's just doing what we are – training to be something better." A strange silence followed after her comment, and she noticed the expressions on Yang and Ruby turning upset.

"Fair enough, but I don't like all the slack everyone's giving these guys. I mean, they just came to help out, why should we reject them you know?" Blake nodded in understanding, even if she didn't entirely agree.

"Perhaps they will help."

With their little discussion over, everyone fell back into the motions, and the lights went off. Blake lifted up the black silk covers on her bed and sat her head on the pillow, watching as her teammates drifted off to sleep. She could hear their breathing slow, and in the darkness she noticed Ruby's small form rise up and down.

Not too really brag, but Blake considered herself quite the stealthy person. One of the skills that she learned while being in the White Fang under Adam's tutelage, was becoming one with the environment. It paid off, as every night she would successfully sneak out of the room without a sound. Slipping out from under the covers was easy, and she found herself exiting the room without a hitch.

The past week, she been scouring the archives for any information on White Fang raids. If she wanted to find a connection with Torchwick, she would have to look at past robberies involving Dust. There were similar cases, but nothing definitive to link the criminal mastermind. Something else she was thankful for, was the library remaining open until midnight – although she usually overstayed her welcome.

Only a handful of students stayed in the library during the late hours, leaving her as much discretion to use the computers without anyone becoming nosey. She always made her way to a terminal near the windows, being fond of the moonlight that shined through. Most of the lights were dimmed, with only the lamps on the tables guiding her – not that she couldn't see the way already clearly.

The next hour, she searched through hundreds of police files and newspaper clippings of recent crimes involving Dust shops, searching for a common element. Nothing was coming up, and with each minute passing she became more restless; a common occurrence with her lately. The crimes were too similar, and the goons Torchwick used never left behind anything to announce themselves to the police. Perhaps she needed to narrow down the search to particular areas?

Blake wanted to be stubborn and stay awake, but with their big mission tomorrow she had no choice but to rein herself in. In anger, she slammed the keyboard with a grunt, cursing her ignorance. And then she caught the sound of a sneeze from the table not far behind her. She cocked her head to side and spotted Jaune leaned over a book; he rubbed his nose and checked his scroll, his eyes holding a look of bewilderment.

"Jaune, is that you?"

Jaune lifted his head and bumped it on the lamp sitting on the table. "Oh, Blake, I'm sorry, did I disturb you?" she shook her head and peeked behind him, noticing a book that had Grimm illustrations.

"What are you doing so up late?"

"I was doing some extra studying before tomorrow – trying to learn more about the Grimm before I face them in real life." She could understand a little, though reading text wouldn't prepare him for the horror of seeing one up close.

"You didn't bother me," Blake replied to his earlier answer with a tired yawn, "actually, I'm just now leaving."

"Hey Blake..." she turned back around, her amber eyes studying his slouched position, noticing his lowered gaze.

"What is it?"

"Tell me – is it wrong to be scared?" her eyes widened a bit, surprised by the sudden question. Was he afraid of facing the Grimm tomorrow? It wouldn't be too surprising, as most people avoided the creatures as much as possible.

"Do you mean of the Grimm?"

A chuckle escaped his lips, "No... I mean, of myself."

"Why would you be afraid of yourself?" Blake asked with a worried tone – she didn't want the boy to do something drastic tomorrow.

"After hearing everything you said, and how some of the students here are acting... I don't know, I just feel some doubt. What if you're right Blake? Perhaps I'm not qualified enough, or even prepared for this?" Jaune questioned as he burrowed his face into his palms, hands ruffling his already messy blonde locks. She never meant to do this.

"Have you always fret about this?" She was beginning to feel a little guilty, especially since it was her that filled his head with doubt.

"Sometimes... I worked day and night, studied for hours into the night, practicing on mock patients until I was certain everything checked out."

"But you felt you weren't good enough." Blake let slip.

"Exactly," Jaune looked at her with an intrigued look, his eyes wandering to her bow atop her head. It twitched once or twice as she blushed in embarrassment.

"Jaune... I know how you feel – there are times when I feel powerless, but I don't let that stop me – no I can't let it," She clenched her fists as she pictured Roman with his cocky grin aboard the bullhead that whisked him away.

"Is it anything you might want to talk about?"

She hesitated for a second, bearing into his kind ocean blue eyes as they gleamed against the moonlight. There was so much she could tell him – about the White Fang and Torchwick, her childhood... but she wasn't ready to reveal so much, not to someone she just met today.

"No, I'm fine."

"Sorry for unloading all of this on you, I know we just met and all – you seemed like a good listener I guess." Jaune laughed as he reverted back to his nervous twitch.

"Its fine, I've heard much worse."

"This probably sounds pathetic, but I had no friends growing up," Jaune stood up from the table and grabbed his book, a smirk still present on his face. "It's only been a day and you guys have made me feel so welcome." Blake was a little taken back – could someone so humble exist?

"We should probably get some sleep," Blake uttered as she began to make her way toward the exit. Jaune nodded and followed suit, waving at Blake as he left in the opposite direction. As his figure disappeared, she let out another sigh.

Had she expected to meet someone in the library, she would have prepared herself more carefully. Luck was on her side however, as Jaune never noticed her sleuthing on the terminal. Although... their brief conversation was pleasant; he never pressed her for answers like others would. Which brought to mind a strange thought, only based on a statement he made. How could someone so kind not make friends?

Jaune was keeping more secrets then he let on, granted so was she. She had no plans on prying any information from him – that was his business – so long as it didn't affect the team. Sad as it sounded, she had no immediate plans to bond with him, not because he was a bad person, but because his stay was only temporary, while Yang and the others acted like he was a permanent addition.

Out of respect, she would keep her opinions about the need for medics on the battlefield to herself. Jaune, was honorable enough to not go around and tell everyone she was Faunus – not that her teammates didn't know. Yes, Jaune Arc, appeared gentle, though a little meek. But will he be able to keep his temperament when faced with the Grimm?

 _I can only hope._

 **Some of you may have noticed that nothing was updated this past week, and that's because I took advantage of Spring break and used it to relax. Then again I still work, so it doesn't really matter huh? In the end however, the story beckoned me, so I did write a little bit.**


	3. Thrust into Horror

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Chapter Three: Thrust into Horror

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

 **Back as always, and I'm loving the response to this story. I'm glad you're all enjoying it, and hope the support continues on! I got some messages asking how closely this will follow canon events, and I'm willing to say not really... their might be some here and there to advance the background plot, but the more imminent threat in this story is the Grimm, rather than Cinder and her lackeys.**

 **Everyone really needs to thank Cyndaquil, he's been the beta for two of my stories, and helps a lot when I need some last minute advice. Still looking for any takers on some cover art! I don't like using these bland emblems and such. Look at me, I'm pleading now huh? Ignore me.**

It was around eight o'clock when Jaune first awoke, and he couldn't be happier. He slept peacefully last night, as compared to other study-filled marathons that left him a little less than three or four hours. So much excitement coursed through his body that he didn't feel any fatigue, kicking off the covers with a satisfied yawn. The day had just started, and already he wanted this euphoric state to last an eternity, forgetting any of the doubts that ran through his mind last night.

He wasted no time going through his morning preparations, hopping in the shower with his generic cleaning products. Unlike the janky dorm room he was used to, the hot water spewed forth immediately, relaxing any leftover tense muscles. Part of his rejuvenated state came as a result from his conversation last night with Blake Belladonna. He found it nice to find someone who he could just talk to and let his feelings be known without being judged – strange that it was her of all people first.

When they first met, his initial impression was that Blake was not at all enthused by his arrival. That still could be the case, but at least she didn't harp on the problem by reciting what everyone else already shared. There was always going to be a divide. He still couldn't believe that he even had the courage to talk to Blake without becoming a pile of mush; usually he stuttered. To put it in simple terms, Blake was... quite interesting when compared to other girls – not that most of his new friends weren't as well.

Jaune never got the opportunity to really engage with the female side of the population. He wasn't afraid to socialize in their circles by any means, but directly speaking with a good looking girl one on one? He was only so lucky back then. Yet now it was becoming too common, though some of the girls probably shared varied opinions on his sudden presence. The brief instances he was with Weiss Schnee illustrated that.

Honestly, Jaune, couldn't blame the heiress too much for her attitude towards him. It may have been for selfish reasons, but her motivations probably stemmed from family – that was usually the case for esteemed lineages such as his. He wouldn't press the issue, though it was a little disappointing that he couldn't speak with such a gorgeous girl... she was almost like a doll with her snow white hair and petite frame. Just her general attitude needed work.

The sisters, Ruby and Yang, were so far very welcoming, and without them his introduction to Beacon could have been much worse. They even supported his dream without hesitation, questioning why others would be so averse. He envied Ruby's childlike view on the world, whereas Yang just didn't care about how everyone felt on the issue. While he didn't ask, the detail of each girl bearing a different last name did cross his mind – perhaps adoption, or maybe cousins?

As for their friends he met yesterday at dinner, team PNRN, appeared kind. The fact they were willing to let Tawny join them was evidence enough. Nora was simple to figure out, but her best friend Ren seemed more reclusive, keeping most of his thoughts to himself. Nebula was cheerful and enthusiastic, and of course very cute, while Pyrrha... their first meeting felt empty, like she was insulted by him. He didn't believe Pyrrha hated him or anything – just that something he said might have upset her.

Was it strange then, that out of all the new people he met, that he wanted to speak with Blake again? Yang mentioned that she was book lover, often escaping the confines of their dorm to read in the library. Jaune could relate, always checking out books and remaining inside his dorm room away from the other students. He enjoyed the company of open-minded individuals, which made Blake all the more appealing to converse with about his career... of course getting a straight opinion from the often demure girl would be difficult.

There were more important matters to mull about. Jaune put his on his uniform and collected his things; grabbing his bag and placing all of the materials he would need inside. The bag was actually special to him, as one of his younger sisters bought it as a going away gift. He used it for everything from hauling textbooks to video games – it was only fitting that he would take it on his first official mission.

The first thing he did was check his scroll, and notice the message that was sent by Headmaster Ozpin himself to all of the students. Everyone participating in the missions, was to head outside to the bullheads leaving to their designated areas. They were marked by numbers corresponding to the teams, his number being six. He opened a container and popped out two small purple pills for his inevitable motion sickness.

In the future, he pledged to find a cure for the family ailment.

With an empty appetite, Jaune, wasted no time and headed straight for the cafeteria. He didn't need an extravagant breakfast to start the day, a simple meal like eggs and toast would satisfy him. By the grace of the gods, the lines weren't that long, and he found himself able to grab a plate full of the essentials. The only problem he faced now was a place to sit... until he noticed Tawny in the corner.

Back at school, their interaction outside the classroom was quite minimal. The more he dwelled on it, the more disappointed he was – she was one of only several people who even took the time to socialize with him, albeit only on a whim, but he still appreciated the gesture. He walked over to the table and joined her, setting his tray on top and plopping down on the seat across from her. She raised her eyebrow in curiosity, and then went back to eating her meal.

"So, are you excited?"

Tawny set down her fork and wiped her mouth with a napkin, her eyes focused on Jaune. "Not really, I'm just ready to go out and prove myself I guess."

"And you're not even a little bit afraid?"

"Yes, I'm shivering all over," She wryly responded. "Of course I'm somewhat anxious, but who wouldn't be? Just worry about you."

An expected answer, but it made him smirk. "I wanted to apologize Tawny." Again she hesitated, appearing caught off guard by the statement.

"Why are you apologizing?" Tawny narrowed her eyes, folding her arms as she leaned back in the aged cafeteria chair. She was always wary of their conversations, as if she was expecting him to pounce at any minute.

"I don't know, I just feel like I haven't tried hard enough to befriend you. You never had to keep me company on the weekends." Jaune heard a low sigh escape from her lips.

"Does it really matter," She questioned, "If so, I should be at fault as well. We don't have much in common Jaune, but I figured you were too socially inept to really strike up a conversation. But I always considered us friends, despite any earlier comments to the contrary." Jaune found himself a bit taken back at her nonchalant attitude about lying before.

"Why refer to us as acquaintances then?"

"Because I knew it would bug you," she answered with a rare smile. While he would have complained about her wishy-washy views, Jaune actually found some acceptance in her words. It fit her personality to a tee – deliberately causing him to second guess her actions? Sounded exactly like Tawny.

"You know I'll get you back for this."

"I look forward to seeing you try," she chuckled.

The brief meal was enough to satisfy his stomach as he and Tawny made their way outside of the academy. Jaune was relieved that he could properly apologize to Tawny before their mission began, even if it was awkward. It was little sad that even after knowing her for a year, although intermittently, that she could surprise him. He stole a glance and noticed the satchel wrapped across her waist; brown-sand in color, fitted with golden trimmings on the edges, it was about the size of a common Soccer ball.

Jaune expected a much bigger crowd to be waiting outside where the bullheads were docked, instead being greeted with fewer then twelve people. What surprised him more however, was that both teams had woke up far earlier, making him and Tawny practically late for the mission. But it puzzled him that the other teams participating in the joint venture with his school weren't present – perhaps the times for each party were dependent on the location they were stationed?

To the right, Jaune, spotted team RWBY lounging on the bullhead with impatient looks. Yang was pacing back and forth, while Weiss played on her scroll, a deadpan expression present on the heiress' delicate face. Ruby sat on the cabin swinging her legs with a bright smile, silver eyes lighting up as she spotted him. And then he saw Blake with a look of indifference as she leaned against the open door.

"What took you so long blondie?" Yang teased as he approached with Tawny.

"Was getting some breakfast, how early did you guys get here?" Jaune scratched his chin in embarrassment and averted his gaze, realizing the extent of his tardiness.

"Do you realize how long we've been waiting?" Weiss reminded with a huff, flicking her ponytail to the side and pocketing her scroll.

Ruby hopped off the cabin and approached Jaune. "So, we found out where we're being stationed! The location actually isn't far from Beacon." That made things a lot safer, especially if anyone was injured – and if the Grimm became too overwhelming, the teachers could assist.

"Where's team PNRN?" Jaune asked as he glanced around the campus, not spotting the familiar red hair of Pyrrha Nikos. Were they late as well?

"Oh, Pyrrha said they were on their way. Though... we have to actually leave now Jaune." He turned to look at Tawny who shrugged her shoulders, walking over to one of the bullheads across the grounds.

"Good luck, Jaune."

"T-thanks, I'll need it." Ruby tugged the sleeve of his uniform and dragged him over to the rest of her team, skipping in excitement.

"Before we leave guys, I'll need your team code that was assigned to you after initiation – Do you have it Ruby?" He looked down into her silver eyes and was met with a blank stare, the young girl twiddling her fingers.

"Team code?" Yang asked in disbelief. He watched as they exchanged glances, appearing stumped by the question – even Blake looked oblivious.

"0583," Weiss muttered, "That's our team code." Jaune would have snickered quietly if Weiss didn't glare in his direction. Her stare alone could eviscerate his insides – but he wasn't surprised that the heiress was the only one to memorize their team code. She came off as very studious.

"Why do you need our team code?" Blake asked, amber eyes filled with curiosity as her bow twitched again. He never really her slit irises before that were akin to a cat. They were somewhat mesmerizing.

"For the medical staff at Beacon," he began to explain, "We use codes on emergency communications for certain injuries or conditions of the team." He poured hours into textbooks learning the numerous call-signs, though he prayed nothing serious would happen on the mission.

"Enough wasting time, the pilot just signaled us." A grumble left from Ruby as they all boarded the bullhead. Jaune hefted his bag onto the cabin and took another look at Beacon as it lifted in the air, a cool breeze whisking against his cheeks. He was proud to call the academy his second home.

* * *

For all her strength, Weiss, was finding it difficult to keep her distance from Jaune Arc. Yang was already giving her a displeased look, the blonde's arms folded as she sat next to Jaune. He was jotting down notes in a small pad, mumbling under his breath. The bumbling medic appeared more exuberant than yesterday – someone must have filled him with words of encouragement, probably Yang or Ruby if not one of the professors. She would stay aloof to his presence and only speak if necessary.

The mission was transparent enough; patrol some of the common routes outside the walls and eliminate any Grimm they stumbled upon. Not surprising, considering both schools were using this joint exercise as a testing ground for future collaborations. Headmaster Ozpin had described it as such, though this wasn't the first time they tried this little experiment. The thought was somewhat terrifying, each year the potential number of students at risk increasing. She would have to ask Coco, of team CFVY about their own experience.

Weiss stole another glance at Jaune, his eyes shut as he gripped his knees firmly. She noticed his lips contort in displeasure every few seconds as the turbulence rocked against the bullhead. Was he suffering from motion sickness? By all that was holy, if Jaune Arc threw up on her... there would be nothing left to identify his corpse.

The rudders of the bullhead began to slow, and it pitched in a circle, descending upon a small clearing that was surrounded by rust-colored trees similar to Forever Fall, the entire area lit in a strange hue against the mountainous region. As their transportation landed, the force of the blades on the bullhead swept up the red leaves strewn across the ground. Accompanying the dirt was a sea of pine needles and various low hanging orange plants that swayed against the gentle breeze. The entire land was picturesque.

Heels crunched against the dead leaves as she hopped off. She pulled out Myrtenaster and inspected the chamber, and found all of her dust cartridges full. According to the pilot on the way there, a transponder would signal the location of their extraction in four hours on their scrolls. When the bullhead exited the clearing, the low chirp of birds filled her ears, all the familiar sounds of the wilderness overcoming the silence.

Blake approached her from behind and unsheathed Gambol shroud, the chain rattling against her. "Which direction is the first path?" Weiss pulled out her scroll and brushed her finger across the screen, a small map opening up that pointed west.

"Are we in that fall forest again?" Ruby inquisitively asked.

"The Forever Fall – and no, just an area that's quite similar to it." Weiss answered. It was true the forestry of both locations bared the same geology and plant life.

"Hey guys, come over here a second," Jaune called with a feeble tone. She glanced over in his direction and noticed him bent over next to a large tree.

The four of them approached as Jaune stepped aside, noticing the large claw marks that scraped against the trunk. Much of the bark was removed, and the indention itself was wide, and about the size of a human head. "What does it belong to?" She turned to look at Blake for an answer.

"Judging by the size, I think it's an Ursa Major," Jaune commented aloud. With a bit of surprise, she examined the mark closely and found it to be the most logical guess.

"That's not surprising, most of the Ursai are attracted to the sap that grows in the trees," Blake added, "Explains why there was one so close by in the Forever Fall back at the beginning of the semester." She was of course referring to the small incident with Cardin Winchester.

During the first month of school, Cardin Winchester, thought it would be appropriate to bully the second year student Velvet Scarlatina, a bunny Faunus. Needless to say, Nebula from team PNRN didn't take it kindly, interfering in their shenanigans much to CRDL's ire. Cardin tried to blackmail Nebula with the threat of revealing to everyone her past juvenile record since they were both from the same preparatory school in Mistral... it didn't go over well. Yet she rescued him from an Ursa in the Forever Fall.

What they all found more hilarious, was that supposedly the arrogant jerk developed a crush on her. As if Nebula, would ever return his advances.

"Let's make sure to be cautious then." Weiss affirmed, strutting forward with her weapon. Ruby joined her side as Yang and Blake followed suit with Jaune at the back.

It wasn't hard navigating through the dense forest, and the scenery was gorgeous to look upon. A continuous downpour of red leaves dropped from above as the branches wobbled back and forth from the wind. Her legs shivered in the early morning air as they continued to trek without any signs of Grimm habitation in the forest. She began to wonder if going on patrols as a huntress in the future would always be so trivial. Not that she wanted the Grimm to attack them.

She pulled out her scroll and checked the time – only thirty minutes or so had gone by, leaving them a grueling three and half hours left of patrolling the peaceful land. The silence was almost unbearable, which in part might be some of her fault. Weiss found it a little puzzling that Ruby hadn't sprung a random conversation onto her, the small hooded girl humming a faint tune. Why couldn't their team be assigned with team SSSN?

"H-hey Blake, how've ya been?" Jaune asked with a stutter – was he really striking up a conversation with Blake of all people. Oh how little he knew.

"Um... I'm fine Jaune, why do you ask?" the other blonde among their group turned her head with interest, a coy smile placed upon her plump lips.

"Oh, I was just wondering – you looked tired last night." Last night? When had Blake ever talked with Jaune alone? Unless her Faunus teammate snuck out again; Weiss wasn't clueless to her recent change in behavior, which no doubt was related to the White Fang.

"Whoa, whoa, last night!?" Yang laughed with a questioning stare. "Did you have a secret rendezvous with Jaune?" Yang continued to tease.

A tint of red covered Blake's cheeks as she vehemently shook her head, appalled by the suggestion. "No, of course not, I was in the library and Jaune happened to be studying there." She watched as Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, eyes shifting uncomfortably from embarrassment.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to indicate anything." A sigh left Blake as she trotted further ahead next to her and Ruby. Despite the melodrama, it was a little troubling that Blake was sneaking out to learn more about the White Fang without them. The past several days the poor girl ran herself rugged looking for clues.

"It's okay lady killer, just catch her on a better day." Yang suggested with a pat on the back. Weiss doubted that was the reason.

Weiss felt one of her heels clack on something metal, almost losing her balance. Hidden by the plethora of leaves, were railroad tracks, extending deeper into the forest. Rust corroded the metal after years of abandonment; humanity's failed attempt at traveling between kingdoms. How long did it take for the Grimm to overtake the workers? Many of them had been employees of the Schnee Dust Company... transportation was limited for only the more senior personal onsite, which only lead to more deaths.

The metal beneath her feet was yet another reminder of her family's sordid past. There was so much work to be done within the company once her Father decides to step down, and with Winter a specialist in the Atlas military, the responsibility fell onto her shoulders. But she was willing to bear it, knowing all too well the atrocities the Faunus particularly suffered at the hands of the company. Becoming a huntress was the first step of many to gaining the position as CEO.

In Jaune's case, he was quite fortunate to not endure the weight of responsibility that came with inheriting so much prestige. Then again, his reputation took a blow, becoming practically disowned in the eyes of many – she almost couldn't imagine the humiliation of being turned away by your own family. They both shared so much in common, yet fate would not allow them to interact.

It was somewhat a pity.

"Stop," Blake announced, "Everyone listen." Weiss perked up her ears and concentrated on the sounds around her.

A few meters away, a low growl sounded in the distance. She watched as Blake carefully approached the source of the noise, her grip tightening on the handle of Gambol Shroud. Weiss followed behind and folded back a few stranded leaves from a bush to see not just one Ursa, but a pack surrounding a large Ursa Major that was missing one eye. The creatures black fur was tinted gray in some areas, hinting at its age as it let out a low guttural sound to another pair of Grimm in its path.

The white bone-like plates covered its back and arms, while its face bore a large scar running down its right eye. They were successful in finding their first pack of Grimm to hunt down, but the sheer numbers of the Ursa and possible strength of the Major left them in a delicate situation. If they were to survive, the pack would need to be separated.

"What do you suggest," she whispered, "I don't see us taking that Ursa Major down with that pack surrounding it." Blake nodded, and signaled for her to pedal back to the rest of their group – easier said than done of course.

"What did you guys find?" Ruby asked with concern, her silver eyes taking a stern look as compared to the brightness they exuberated an hour ago.

"A pack of Ursa... and an old Ursa Major."

"Old, like a grandpa?" Yang asked with a chuckle.

"Does their age signify anything of importance? I haven't gotten that far yet in my studies about the Grimm," Jaune admitted, pulling out a small book from his bag that read: _Grimm Biology and History,_ on the cover.

Blake nodded again, amber eyes blinking as she chose her wording carefully. "The older a Grimm is, the more powerful and wise it becomes. There are experts who believe that some species of Grimm have lived for hundreds of years in packs." An audible gulp escaped from Jaune.

"So what's the game plan then?" Yang cracked her knuckles, an excited gleam appearing in her lilac eyes.

"The _wise_ decision, would be to try and separate the pack and engage them. Everyone should try and avoid the Ursa Major if possible." Weiss explained, as an approval of nods came from her team.

"Who should I go with?" Jaune asked. It was a valid question, however she prayed that her team wouldn't pair them up – at this point Ruby would be preferable.

A growl erupted from behind them and Weiss froze as she saw an Ursa throw back its arm and slamm its paw where Ruby was sitting. If not for her partner's semblance, Ruby, would have been dead. She leapt forward and thrust Myrtenaster into the beast's stomach, hurling it against the ground and onto its back, where it disintegrated.

* * *

"Spread out!" Blake shouted as more Ursa came running forward. Gambol Shroud's chain wrapped around the trunk of a nearby tree and propelled her forward, the blade cutting through three or four of them. Limbs fell onto the ground, the Grimm's blood blending with the red leaves.

"How did they sneak up on us!?" Weiss complained as she lit up a glyph, creating a wall of ice that separated a group of Ursa from her and Blake.

"The sap they were eating," Blake uttered as she landed next to her, "I didn't realize it was so strong – I feel stupid." A lone Ursa charged forward, only for Blake to sidestep it, bringing up Gambol Shroud into its neck.

The ice shattered as more Ursa clambered toward them, spit dripping from their fangs as they roared in succession. Blasts collided with the creatures as Yang unloaded Ember Celica from behind, while Ruby stayed in the corner shielding Jaune from any danger. She could see the horrified expression on his face, his shaking eyes adjusting to the sight of the Grimm – people say that witnessing them up close stripped away a little of someone's innocence.

"This isn't too hard!" Yang gleefully yelled as she pummeled an Ursa in the face, its neck twisting from the impact.

"More are coming!" Ruby warned. Weiss turned around and noticed more of the pack arriving, their numbers beyond what they originally thought. It was rare for so many Grimm to congregate together, even if a part of the same genus.

Blake shot off a couple of rounds and rushed forward, engaging some of the Ursa with quick consecutive slashes, the edge of the blade twisting against the plates as it tore through the flesh like butter. Weiss could definitely attest to Blake's skill as a warrior – her movements were graceful, and yes even cat-like in a sense. Yet the more she cut down, even more replaced them, the Ursa coming in endless waves.

"Freezerburn!" Ruby shouted as she bisected an Ursa trying to advance on her and Jaune's position.

Weiss pointed Myrtenaster at the ground, a large glyph forming over it as the branches and dead leaves froze over. Yang hopped across an Ursa and unload a round of Ember Celica while punching the ground, the impact creating a mist in the forest. Confused growls filled the silence, and everyone took the opportunity to spread out. Whilst everything was encompassed, she could make out their beady little red eyes.

"This way," Jaune called out. "We can cover more ground over here!" Weiss followed his voice with the others, hoping that the mist would give them enough time to recoup – until a paw reached out and brushed against her arm.

The Grimm's claws scraped her sleeve, ripping it into pieces as she stumbled forward. Two Ursa towered over her, and she lifted up her hand to cast a glyph at their feet, ice rising from the ground and freezing them. Blake lifted her up, and they continued their pace away from the horde of Grimm. The ground began to tremble as the Ursa Major began to step forward, its lumbering appearance casting a large silhouette in the background. Was she mistaken... or was it an Ursa King? They were top of the hierarchy for the Ursai, and were extremely rare.

"We can't face that!" Weiss almost stuttered.

"Ice Flower!" Ruby shouted again. Ruby crouched on the ground as Yang and Jaune ran past her, leaving Weiss the chance to cast a glyph on Crescent Rose.

The sniper rounds were cast as long-ranged freezing bullets to slow their enemies down. A wise choice on Ruby's part; the barrage allowed them to gain some distance as the mist began to clear. But they just kept coming... the Grimm weren't letting up, and their numbers didn't seem to decrease. She was beginning to think that Beacon Academy was unaware of how deep the Ursai had planted themselves into the forest. Surely the Headmaster of Beacon wouldn't be so careless.

In another last ditch effort, Weiss, cast another wide glyph above the Grimm, and a shower of ice shards rained down from above, impaling some of the creatures.

Any chance of reprieve was put to rest as the Ursa King let out a massive war cry, the roar sending vibrations through the forest. The giant Grimm charged forward with other Ursa following behind, knocking over trees and boulders that stood in its way. Everyone panicked, and in a split second decision Weiss activated a glyph under everyone's feet to increase their speed. The Ursa King clawed at the ground in front of them, upending the earth as piles of debris flew at them.

Both Yang and Blake exchanged blows with the Grimm, attacking it from all sides. The Ursa King appeared unfazed as it knocked away the projectiles like pellets. The colossal beast grabbed Blake's chain and hurled her to the left against a tree, Yang fleeing to check on her. Her partner finally decided to join the fray, spinning Crescent Rose against its back to no effect. Its armor was too thick for a one-on-one battle.

The Ursa King growled in annoyance and uprooted another tree, flinging it toward the middle and separating them. Jaune dived to the right next to her, covering his head from the falling cobbles of dirt.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted.

Before she could regroup with the others, several Ursa climbed over the trunk and leapt forward. Weiss pirouetted and sliced off one of their heads, freezing the other two with a quick glyph. They had to run – the Ursa were surrounding them from all sides, and it was impossible to take on the King without a viable strategy. She didn't even notice the trickle of blood running down her arm.

Everyone run and regroup later!" Weiss again yelled, casting another set of glyphs under her and Jaune's feet. And then she ran, not looking back as more of the Grimm huddled together, obstructing her view of the Ursa King. They began to pursue her with an unfettered hunger in their blood-red eyes – Jaune was behind her, thankfully keeping pace thanks to her glyph; otherwise he would be dead.

There was no telling how long she ran, her bosom rising up and down as she panted. Her breathing became labored and she finally decided to collapse on her knees. Myrtenaster dropped from her fingers, the nails covered in dirt as she wiped her brow of sweat. Adrenaline rushed through her circular system, the sensation of fear so surreal – Weiss never felt so helpless before, years of training unable to assist her against such an indestructible creature.

"Weiss, are you alright?!" She lifted her head up and looked to see the scraggly blonde in her presence. How of all people Jaune became stranded in the forest with her, she would never know – but it wasn't ideal.

"I'm fine," she panted, "Nothing some rest won't help-" Weiss was interrupted when from the bushes, an Ursa crashed into a tree next to Jaune.

"Move you dimwit!" Weiss cast a glyph on the tree, ice spreading over the Grimm's body as it snarled at them. She cast another one under her feet to propel her forward with Myrtenaster, thrusting the rapier at its heart. To her surprise, the Ursa broke free and charged, the tip of the blade piercing its heart in the process.

The momentum of the Ursa's body pushed atop her small petite frame, both of them collapsing onto the ground. Her leg twisted to the side in an unusual angle, and she moaned in pain, trying to crawl out from under the Grimm. As its body dissipated and she became free, Weiss looked down at her ankle to see a piece of bone sticking out. The pain hit her instantly, a burning sensation coursing through her body, writhing in reaction as blood poured from the open wound.

"Weiss, calm down," Jaune barked, rushing over with his bag and setting it on the ground next to her. She wanted to protest, but any thought of Jaune was pushed to the side by the unbearable spasm in her leg. "Stop moving, I can't have you apply any unnecessary pressure on the ankle!"

With great reluctance, Weiss obliged. Jaune pulled out a bottle from his bag and applied it to a swab, cleaning the wound as she let out a shriek of discomfort. He grabbed a rag and gently wrapped it around her ankle, and then pulled out a roll of tape to cover it. "W-what's wrong?" She struggled to say.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Uncertain of what to think, Weiss watched as Jaune retreated into the forest, sifting through a pile of branches and wood, until he found two pieces that could act as a splint.

Jaune came back over and sat the wood on each side of her leg and pulled out another strip of tape. He applied the pieces on both sides of her ankle and set the splint – although the pain still remained. He put all of the supplies away, except for a small pill bottle with a red label on it; Jaune poured two of the pills onto his palm and outstretched his hand. "You need to take these... to alleviate the pain."

Pain medication, of course. "I'll be fine once my aura kicks in." Jaune didn't flinch, placing the bottle onto the ground next to her.

"Even when your aura returns, the pain won't subside – you're ankle is fractured, it needs to be treated at the medical wing in beacon." The once dopey expression on the blonde's face was replaced with one of conviction. His blue eyes were narrowed, glancing down at her injury.

"I said, I'm fine," Weiss attempted to stand up, but once she felt weight on her left leg, an excruciating sensation shot through her body. How did this even happen?

From the bottomless bag of Jaune's, Weiss saw him pull out two black metal pieces that hooked together and formed a makeshift crutch. "Use this – do you have any way of contacting Ruby and the others?"

She nodded, and pulled out her scroll... her busted scroll. Weiss couldn't describe the experience of being powerless – how could she have used up all of her aura so quickly during the battle? She was usually so careful, but the presence of the Ursa King frightened her. The situation was dire; Jaune and she were stranded in the forest alone without a means to battle any Grimm if they were assaulted. If her Father ever found out about what just transpired, her life would be over.

 **There you go another thrilling chapter, at least I think so anyway. By the way I do read everyone's reviews, so please keep them up if you're willing to do so. So, Jaune is not a combat medic, and to be honest, that was never my intention – apologies if that is upsetting.**

 **Like I said before, the Grimm will be more of the threat in this story as compared my other ones, and don't be alarmed if I decide to come up with new Grimm types. Ursa King is obviously made up.**

 **In other news, Dracohalo 117 and I are collaborating on a story that I hope you will all find exciting. Check out his work on the site if you haven't yet.**


	4. Abandoned Hope

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Four: Abandoned hope

 **I'm currently working on the next chapter of Blake's Mistake, so it should be out pretty soon. I was already knee deep in this chapter, and I saw everyone salivating for more so... yeah. This story is being very positively received, and I'm so glad my work is making you guys happy. As for if Jaune, will be receiving any weapon or semblance – read on. I won't get into specifics because this journey has just begun.**

 **In other news, holy crap Dark Souls III! No, but for real, everyone should check out my other stories The Heat and the new Dawn of Reality, which serves as a replacement for Man's Best Friends. It's a spiritual successor of sorts, as it will deal with many of the same themes. Now when the next Chapter of The Heat arrives, expect a lengthy authors note and some changes (not that I was influenced by anyone for these changes).  
**

The horde of Ursai finally lost reach of them after minutes of endless chasing, and to say Blake was exhausted would be an understatement. And worse, Weiss and Jaune were missing, forced to retreat elsewhere when the Ursa King wreaked havoc on the surrounding forest. Facing a Grimm of such class was unprecedented, no doubt having remain hidden for so many years, but why didn't Beacon know this?

Human error was always a factor, although she wouldn't find it surprising if they at least suspected a powerful Grimm lie in waiting near the Forever Fall. She glanced over at Yang and saw her partner tinkering with Ember Celica, traces of dirt caked on near the edges as the blonde picked at with a grimace. Ruby, sat in the corner next to a rotted trunk, switching out dust canisters on her own weapon; the sisters didn't seemed faze, then again each had their own way of coping.

Gambol Shroud was in full working order, the ribbon still clean of dust. Her eyes narrowed, and she took in their location relative to how far they ran – a couple hundred meters at best. Her scroll was in perfect condition, but when she tried to call Weiss, there was no answer - Blake assumed the worst about communications. With a forced sigh, she trudged over to Yang and sheathed her sword.

"How's Ruby doing?" She always found bringing up her partner's little sister as the best icebreaker when confronting Yang.

"She's fine, just a little upset that Weiss and Jaune are gone. I'm not too worried, the ice princess should be able to take care of him." Yang brushed aside a lock of silky blonde hair and chuckled.

"I don't know where to start looking," Blake murmured, "Our only hope is that Weiss follows the path we began on." She pulled her scroll out and checked the map.

They were diverted back several hundred meters from their original path, but if they continued further right, they could recover some of the lost time. There was no way of knowing how far Weiss had been separated, and with Jaune tagging along it could slow their progress. Blake looked up at the sky and noticed a formation of grayish clouds accumulating, a sweet pungent odor filling her nostrils – it was about to rain. Strange that she hadn't sensed it before earlier, and there was no immediate sign of shelter.

The first rumble from the overhead clouds erupted in the skies, and she felt a drip of water slide down her arm. A groan exited from Yang and Ruby as it began to sprinkle, the wind picking up and scattering the red leaves across the ground. The trees would only provide momentary cover from the eventual downpour that was expected to come. She didn't like to reinforce the stereotype about cats, but she hated getting wet, unless it was a shower... maybe swimming also.

Not wasting any more time, they rushed through the foliage to search for any indication of a cave or makeshift area to hide under. The rain was beginning to pour, dropping through the leaves above and making the dirt muddy beneath their feet, and she could picture Yang's reaction to her hair becoming damp. While it was disadvantageous to navigate through the storm, this also applied to the Grimm, who surprisingly avoided Mother Nature.

She found it tempting to continue onward through the drenching rain, but it would be impossible to convince the girls. And what about Weiss and Jaune? Finding shelter would be just as difficult for the two of them, making it pointless to wander out in the storm and make no headway. Blake's arms started to shiver, the temperature dropping as the rain picked up, her visibility narrowing. And then luck was on their side – further up a small hill covered in uprooted branches, was a partially collapsed house that once functioned as an outpost.

"Over there," she cried out, plunging through the curved rain as it pattered against her face. They ducked under the rusted ceiling and breathed a sigh of relief, shaking off the water in her black locks.

"We should start a fire," Yang suggested, pulling out a small pink lighter from her pocket. "Anyone got a pile of firewood in their packs?" Besides the lame joke, her partner had a valid point. Even if they attempted to bring back some wood from the forest, it wouldn't light.

"I might have something!" Ruby announced, throwing her pack onto the ground. She rummaged through it for a few seconds and pulled out a couple of small boxes, and the labels indicated they were from multiple desert companies.

"I don't think snacks can help Rubes."

"No silly, we can light the boxes."

That was actually a smart idea, not that she thought Ruby was dumb, no, in fact Yang's little sister was very intelligent. "There's only one problem with your idea, the cardboard boxes won't burn long." The flames would consume the material within minutes, they needed something more durable.

"Then let's look for something in here," Yang remarked with a stretch, pulling off her soaking vest, leaving only her yellow low-cut crop top with a black crest. Blake was one to admit that she could be a little jealous when it came to her partner's near perfect figure

There wasn't much to explore in the abandoned building, most of it having been destroyed by the Grimm when the operation was ceased. She decided to check the pile of debris in the left side of the room, noticing a few rebar and broken concrete blocks. She lifted up one of the mounds and threw it behind her, finding some rotten wood buried underneath – it was passable, but they needed more.

She continued shifting through all the rubble, finding sparse pieces of wood, until eventually they found enough amongst the three of them. Blake gathered up the pile and placed it in the middle of the room, setting down a few rocks around it to support the base. Yang kneeled down and flicked the lighter on, gently breathing on the flame to make it spread. The wood caught fire, spreading through the pile quickly, leaving a source of light in the dark room. She grabbed her wet clothes and placed them by fire with Ruby; now all they had to worry about was lunch.

While her clothes dried, Blake sat down and took in the heat, rubbing her hands together with a relaxed sigh. The past couple of days had been exhausting, scouring information from various sources for anything on the White Fang in the databases. She couldn't imagine what her condition would have been like if she hadn't rested last night properly. She only got that rest thanks to Jaune's persuasion. It was strange to her that Jaune even attempted to initiate a conversation this morning, they only chatted for a few minutes in the library.

Jaune appeared to be knowledgeable in his field, though thankfully no one had been severely injured during their encounter with the Ursa King, at least on her end. Over her shoulder, Ruby handed her a purple juice box – it was a shame grape wasn't her favorite flavor. She messed with the straw and poked a hole in the box with a grunt, never a fan of kiddy drinks like you saw in the commercials. At this point anything could distract her from the mission. Blake loathed the unknown, and without knowing what Grimm might lurk deeper in the forest, she couldn't help but feel at unease.

"Stop moping," Yang chided from across the fire. The blonde was wringing out her blonde tresses. "If you keep pondering over Weiss and Jaune, it'll drive you crazy."

"Perhaps... so you're not worried at all?"

"I didn't say that, just that I'm confident in my friends." Oh, so she already considered Jaune a friend? That was interesting, though not surprising.

"So you're already friendly with him?"

A chuckle left from Yang, "Hah, let's just say I think Jaune is an alright guy. We've talked about this before, but I say give him a chance – I think he'll surprise us." She didn't doubt his knowledge in the medical field, just his experience with handling Grimm. Based on his reactions during their battle, she was correct in that assumption.

"Everyone is scared the first time," Ruby piped in, slurping down her drink as the box crushed inward. "I was afraid the first time I saw a Beowulf." Blake tried to think back to her first experience with the beasts.

The first time she actually saw a Grimm was in a raid with the White Fang, just outside one of the kingdom walls. She was eleven, and Adam was escorting her through the basic training all new recruits were required to take. Intelligence forgot to mention that a nest of Griffons was nearby, and they were ambushed, catching most of the soldiers by surprise. Blake could still remember their lifeless crimson eyes bearing into her, eager to slaughter its prey.

"You would think the medical schools would at least equip its students with weapons." Was that not common sense?

"Or unlock their auras, I couldn't even sense Jaune's." That was another valid point. Whatever the reason, Vale had no qualms about sending unarmed students into the midst of battle – but that wasn't her decision to make.

Yang was correct, sulking would not solve the issue at hand, only patience. If Weiss could not put aside her differences with Jaune, then her pride would endanger their lives, but even she wasn't that incompetent, they would pull through. With another sigh, Blake threw another piece of wood into the flames, the crackling sound pleasing to her ears. Would it be asking too much for the rain to stop?

* * *

Weiss could not fathom how lucky they were to find a cave along the trail. Walking with a crutch proved to be far more difficult then she imagined, and when it began to rain, her hopes were dashed. Despite many protests, Jaune was reduced to carrying her into the cave so the both of them wouldn't end up soaking wet with hypothermia. The blonde even produced a blanket from his bag of many mysteries – how could he stuff so much into one duffle bag, it was preposterous.

So there they were, in a dimly lit cave watching the rain pour continuously through the branches and onto the ground. Rainfall was rare back in Atlas, usually taken over by powerful blizzards throughout the year, so the cold from a little thunderstorm would mean nothing.

In the corner, Jaune, was fiddling away with some supplies, pulling out a couple of sacks. He walked over to her and set one of them down, a smile present on his goofy face. She grabbed the sack and noticed the scrumptious food inside; lettuce tossed with tomatoes, black olives, and croutons. She looked up in disbelief, not imaging Jaune as a gourmet chef, but an idiot who just presumed that she liked salad... which happened to be true.

"Sorry, I just thought you might like it better than my protein bars." She let out an annoyed sigh and nodded, opening the sack and grabbing the utensils inside. Too bad there was no dressing to go along with.

"I don't see why you're so happy right now."

"Um, what do you mean?" He really didn't understand the gravity of their situation? With her ankle fractured, there would be no way to defend themselves from the Grimm.

"You really are oblivious," Weiss remarked, "How do you expect us to meet up with the others when I'm injured? I don't suppose you can fight the Grimm?" Jaune averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of how to answer. She never expected him to.

"Once the rain stops, we'll make our way back along the given path... I'm sure they'll meet us halfway. Look, I know I'm not you're not my number one fan, but you have to trust me." Trust wasn't the problem, it was the reality of their circumstances.

"Just stay on your side." He reluctantly nodded, and retreated back into his little corner. Weiss started to bite her nails, anxious on their prospects of living through the day – so far everything was against them. Jaune tried to call Ruby earlier, but the signal was acting wonky, a result of the thunderstorm more likely.

His plan wasn't unfounded, and was probably the best course of action. Once they were back on the trail, they could try and contact Ruby again, and then navigate from there. Ursa Kings were more or less like their lesser kin, frightful of the storms, retreating back to their caves until it was later in the night, so that gave them an ample time window to extract. Sadly, she considered the mission a failure on account of her injury, a rookie mistake.

Better yet, she was reduced to seeking care from Jaune Arc of all people... if her Father ever found out, there would be much hell to pay. The entire operation was a joke, another way for Ozpin to play politics with the neighboring schools in the kingdom - they didn't need more medics, but huntsman and huntresses who could push back the Grimm drawing ever closer to their borders. Jaune should have stayed in a hospital if he wanted to help others, at least there he wouldn't be a nuisance.

But who was she kidding? When her ankle fractured, the pain was so unbearable, and if Jaune hadn't been there – she would be dead. Oh she could have made it to the cave, on all fours, crawling for lord knows how long. So there was some due credit on the blonde's part. Regrettably, she would have to thank him later, preferably away from the others. She found the torrential downpour to be worrisome, especially if it lasted more than an hour or two. They were safe from the Grimm, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

She glanced at her bandaged ankle and winced, the sharp pain returning. Any slight twist and a burning sensation shot through her leg, only a constant reminder of how she let her guard down in the middle of battle. Jaune rose from his corner and walked over with his bag, the dumb smile wiped from his face, and replaced with a stern look of concern. She found it odd how quickly he could shift gears.

"We need to change the bandages," he said, reaching for her leg. She would have resisted, but the threat of infection was far too great to ignore.

With his soft hands, Jaune took hold of the fabric and carefully unwrapped the bloody cloth around her ankle. He pulled out the bottle of alcohol and dapped it in the new the bandages before hovering over the exposed wound. Weiss knew what was about to come, so she shut her eyes and braced for the sting of the medicine – only it didn't come right away.

"This is going to sting by the way."

"You don't have to tell me, can we just get this over with?" Jaune laid the bandage onto her skin, and she moaned in pain, gritting her teeth as the alcohol went through her system. She averted her gaze as he wrapped it back around her ankle, securing it with a tight knot.

"I'm afraid we'll have to check it again in another hour or so, just to make sure it's not infected. You should be ok though." He gave another reassuring smile as he hefted the bag over his shoulder.

The salad Jaune provided her didn't last long, her appetite much greater then she original thought. Without much to occupy her, and only the rain to watch, she became lost in her thoughts, which gravitated toward Jaune. Something was bugging her since they departed Beacon, and it was related to a certain Faunus on her team. In some unknown span of time, Blake had a conversation with Jaune, apparently in the library according to Yang – She knew why Blake was there, but what about Jaune?

And then there was that awkward conversation not long after they landed. She seen many boys try to start a discussion before without success, well except maybe for Sun, but Jaune butchered it. The chance that Jaune Arc was actually interested in Blake Belladonna made her cringe, not that in a million years her quiet teammate would reciprocate. Not that he wasn't ruggedly handsome... no, that was too much of a compliment.

"Can I ask you something?" Jaune broke her attention, and she directed a gaze in his direction – she was little embarrassed to be caught off guard.

"What is it Arc?"

Jaune paused, and walked over back toward the entrance where she sat. "Do you hate me?" Weiss found herself again flabbergasted, her mouth agape as she tried to formulate a proper response. She wasn't ready for such a weighted question.

Did she hate Jaune Arc, no, she held no animosity toward the boy, but he could aggravate her. Weiss knew the immediate truth was complicated, layered with politics and familial matters that bored most individuals to death. Yet Jaune, he deserved to know why, even if the answer he sought wouldn't be satisfactory – how marvelous was it that despite her attempts to distance herself, they were forced together? Cliché aside, fate was indeed a cruel mistress.

"I don't hate you Jaune, it's just... complicated." The word itself was vague when describing the relationship with her Father.

"It just seems like you really dislike me, plus you go out of your way to ignore me." Oh so he caught on to that? He was much more observant then she thought.

"You have to understand, I bear a large burden of responsibility. My Father, he doesn't tolerate failure in the Schnee family." Jaune kept quiet, his gaze remaining on her light blue eyes. It was hard to put into words how she felt about her situation in general, not really having the chance to discuss it with someone in a similar position.

"The last name you bear, Arc, was it not removed when you were disowned by your Father?" Jaune flinched at the question, but shook his head.

"My last name is Arc, it doesn't matter what petty denouncements my Father comes up with – I still have family that loves me." There was a sense of clarity in his words, a determination that was contrary to his usual personality. The fierce stare he shot her revealed years of masked pain as a result of his abandonment.

"Nevertheless, if it were discovered that I ever associated with you, there would be extreme consequences. There was never a time I despised you Jaune – things just don't work out." She watched as he cast his gaze downward, eyes softening.

"So because of your Father, you refuse to acknowledge me?"

"I'm afraid so, yes," Weiss muttered, hoping that her explanation would put to rest the conversation. Speaking of her past was beginning to make her feel irritated, a memory she wanted to bury.

"Wow, I never thought you would give up so easily." What did he just say? Weiss dropped her calm demeanor and glared at Jaune.

"How dare you," She cried out, "You think I'm weak – that I want to submit to my Father's every wish just so I can someday inherit the company and do some good in the world?" She wanted to stand up and punch the fool in the stomach. It infuriated her that he would presume so much.

"That's not why I said that... when my Father disowned me, I thought my life was over, that another opportunity would never come my way again." Jaune's voice became somber as he spoke, and she could see his hands shaking.

"But I didn't stop, I wouldn't let what my Father said become the truth, so I defied him and everyone who shunned me. Weiss, you don't have to let your family make you a hostage... you can do whatever you want." He set a hand on her shoulder, the smoothness of his skin indicating a life without major work or training.

Instead of resisting, Weiss allowed the touch, letting Jaune's statement fester in her mind. Could she really break her chains and be free? It was ludicrous, the ramifications for doing so would leave her penniless, not to mention shamed by the Atlas community. She already defied her Father once by attending Beacon academy, but he caved, recognizing the prestige that Vale's school carried. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought of the possibility before – the prospect frightened her, and no matter how much she hated to admit it, she still loved her Father.

She wanted to be head of the Schnee Dust Company, not because she loved to bask in the riches of her family, but for a much more personal reason. Her Father was infamous for his policies, forcing Faunus in labor camps to work in unsavory conditions for minimal pay. Riots almost broke out every year, leading to higher security around their mansion and in Schnee related factories. In the public eye some revered her status – yet the disdainful glares she received from those with lesser means would always be ingrained in her memory.

Once she became head of the business, the practices of her late Father would be put to rest. Weiss didn't want to be known for the Schnee legacy, nor the death and pain it caused millions every year. She would create a new one, a lineage that could be respected for doing right by the people and not their race or gender. Winter, her older sister, agreed with most of this, but that was years away. In order for it all to work, she had to play along and do right by the family reputation, despite the increasing enemies she allotted.

"I don't know if I can do that."

Jaune let out a defeated sigh. "Why not, you don't have to continue like this, you can still lead the company one day!" he still didn't understand.

"The world isn't black and white, I can't just turn away and let all my hard work go to waste." She replied with a huff.

With a defeated expression, Jaune let out a pregnant breath. He walked back over to where his bag lied and sat down, digging through it for more supplies. "Here are some more painkillers." He approached her with two little pills, the tension from the conversation all but gone.

"Thank you," she responded.

* * *

The rest of the hour was filled with silence, neither teens daring to speak after prying into each other's past. The wind outside began to calm, the wet leaves from above floating down in a spiral. Soon the rain ceased, only droplets of water dripping down the rocky surface of the cave. A smile emerged on her lips at the thought of finally exiting the cave and reuniting with Ruby and the others. Jaune gathered up his supplies and propped up the crutch.

Initially reluctant, Weiss allowed Jaune to help out of the entrance, the muddy floor dangerous with heels on. Most of the clouds parted, letting in rays of the sun to beam down on the forest. The view was quite serene, and a welcome change to the brooding dark clouds form earlier – that also meant the Grimm would soon be exploring in the wilds. Not one to waste time, Weiss began to pace herself back up the path with Jaune not far behind, until a growl erupted from the brush.

"Did you hear that!?" Weiss panicked.

"Uh yeah, unfortunately."

In a response to their deepest fears, a lone Ursa emerged from the brush, shaking off the twigs that stuck to its skeletal plates located on the back. The Grimm stared at the two of them with its beady crimson eyes, saliva dripping from its long fangs that protruded from the jaw. Before hurling at them, Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster and launched a glyph below the creature's feet, ice creeping form below to freeze it in place. Most of her aura had not yet returned, and using the glyph brought on fatigue in her legs, causing her to fall back in Jaune's arms.

The Ursa shook free from the ice, letting out an enraged roar that vibrated through the trees. "Jaune pick up my weapon, hurry!" the blonde snatched up the hilt of the rapier and held it up, arms shaking as he struggled to keep himself calm.

Weiss observed with bated breath as the Ursa rushed ahead, snarling as it raised its claws into the air. In an act of desperation, Jaune thrust the rapier, aiming for the middle of the Ursa's chest where the heart was located, and pierced its skin, blood pouring onto his uniform. He stumbled out of the way so it wouldn't collapse on top of him, the beast hitting the ground floor. Weiss wiped her brow with a sigh of relief, chastising herself for not realizing sooner that an Ursa probably lived in that cave.

"Jaune, are you ok?" She looked over at the blonde to see him on his knees, eyes locked on his open palms that were stained with blood. His reaction wasn't unexpected, experiencing a first kill was always exhilarating.

"I... I killed it," he responded with a murmur, his entire body shaking from adrenaline. "I can't believe I killed a Grimm." Weiss hobbled over to the disheveled boy and tapped him on the shoulder.

"You need to calm down, you're excited right now, take a few deep breaths," She advised – from her pocket, she pulled out a blue embroidered handkerchief with the letter W on the edge.

"I'm sorry, it was just so visceral." He wiped away the blood on his hands and stuffed the handkerchief in his bag.

"Can you hand me back my weapon? We should probably move before more Ursa show up, I'm sure they heard that roar from earlier." Jaune grabbed Myrtenaster from the ground where the dead Ursa once sat, and handed it to her, the smooth hilt of the blade feeling comfortable in her palm.

Without any more distractions, Jaune helped Weiss navigate up the hill that led back to the designated path on the map. Not having the proper use of one of her feet was becoming a quick nuisance. The trip back to Beacon couldn't come soon enough, as the pain still remained constant if she pushed too hard on her foot.

Twice now, she was proven wrong about Jaune, perhaps even surprised by his techniques. He showed a proficient use in treating the wounded, and quite well-rounded in medical conditions and general first aid. The need for medics on the battlefield was still a difficult subject, and if she hadn't been preoccupied with protecting Jaune, she may not have even sustained an injury to begin with. She wouldn't bring it up however, letting him revel in his achievement for the day would do no harm.

Further along the path, Jaune pulled out his scroll and checked the signal. With the storm gone, there was a good connection, and he dialed Ruby. If Ruby and the rest of her team could hurry back, they would have a chance to escape without fear of dying.

"Oh my god, Jaune, Weiss, are you guys ok!?" Her partner wailed.

"We're alive Ruby, but I'm injured."

Tears began to slide down Ruby's pale cheeks, and she whimpered. "What's wrong, you aren't dying are you!?" Was she really that worried?

"Weiss fractured her ankle, so she can't really walk, we need to extract and call it a day." Jaune cut in, grabbing hold of her shoulder so she wouldn't fall.

"It's going to be difficult to find you," Blake commented in the background, "Is there any landmarks or easily distinguished formations that can help us locate the area?"

She leaned on her crutch and scanned the forest, only finding the same trees and pools of red leaves. There were a couple of worn down boulders and rotting tree branches, but nothing of significance. In the corner, Weiss spotted an unusual elongated piece of wood sticking out from the ground and covered in yellow vines. She narrowed her eyes and discovered that it was an old signpost from the Great War, the paint from the bold red letters having become faded.

"I found something, there's an old signpost here on the trail. Do you want us to wait here or move ahead?" She could hear the loud whispering on Jaune's scroll, rolling her eyes in response to their behavior.

"How about you guys scout ahead, it might be dangerous to just idly sit at one spot," Yang suggested – it was actually a good idea, bravo Yang.

"Don't worry, we'll catch up soon," Ruby interjected, a bright smile on her face to accompany her puppy dog-like eyes. It was her greatest weakness, but no one needed to know that.

The call ended, and Jaune let go, the warmth of his hand gone. Weiss attempted to walk along the path without any assistance, watching her steps and placing the heel of the crutch on flat surfaces. While she could appreciate the help from Jaune, it was a matter of principle that she forced herself to trek on without aid.

The two of them did not get far, a rapid pain emerging in her foot. She decided to rest at a stream – there was a flat rock that she could use as a seat while Jaune pulled out the supplies. The painkillers couldn't have already worn off, making her wonder if an infection was setting in. But even she knew that an infection didn't begin until a day or so after the initial wound. Weiss looked at the bandages and spotted the problem, blood soaking through the cotton.

"Let me take a look." Jaune hurried over and opened his bag, pulling out the bottle of alcohol and another pair of bandages.

"Damn wound opened up," Weiss grunted, a tiny whimper escaping as more blood flowed out. Jaune quickly undid the bandages and cleaned her leg, pouring the rest of the bottle onto the exposed bone and cut.

"You strained yourself too much, you won't able to walk anymore." Weiss looked up to an agitated expression on his face. It was her fault, plain and simple, all because of her dumb sense of entitlement.

"I guess we're stuck here then." She mumbled.

"Blake and the others will meet us here soon, and I'm pretty sure we're safe here by the stream... at least I think so anyway." Jaune let out a nervous chuckle, unsure of his confident statement – what a dork. And there he went it again mentioning Blake by name... she had to ask.

"Now I have a question, Jaune." He blinked in confusion.

"What's your deal with Blake?" Jaune almost stumbled into the stream, dropping one of the rolls of bandages onto the stones. She almost laughed at his clumsiness.

"Uh, what do you mean exactly?"

"You were all cordial with her this morning – do you like her or something," Weiss hesitated to ask, a slight distaste in her mouth.

"W-what, no, nothing like that, I just think she's interesting. Besides, a girl like Blake would never be interested me." _Way to shut yourself down Jaune_ , Weiss thought to herself with a frown.

"Is she the reason you were all pumped up this morning?"

Jaune began to scratch his cheek in embarrassment. "Oh, so you noticed – technically yeah, she got me out of this slump I was having... I just found her words really encouraging. No one ever really talked to me like that before."

Weiss never thought she would misjudge an individual, yet here Jaune Arc kept surprising her. It wasn't infatuation that drove him to seek out further talks with Blake, but an innocent need to socialize. While she saw none at the moment, there must have been driving similarities that pique his interest. She found herself laughing to the confusion of the boy, finding humor in the naivety he expressed.

She was envious.

* * *

Milo thrust into a nearby Ursa, tearing its face apart as Pyrrha brought it back up. Another one leapt from behind, but she used her shield to deflect the attack, countering with a riposte. Unlike team RWBY, Pyrrha and her friends were surrounded by a horde of Grimm, going an hour or so without rest. Behind her, Tawny tended to an injured Nora who found herself slammed into a tree only minutes ago. Ren unloaded a barrage of gunfire, while Nebula cut down more of the pack to the left of her.

Pyrrha never liked to admit defeat, but their situation was looking dire. Her aura reserve was low after fighting close to a hundred of the Ursa – a feat she never expected to pass. Doubt was the greatest enemy of all however, and she launched herself back into the fray, slicing away at the feet of several Ursa, before finishing them off with a curved swipe. Heads rolled as her sweat dripped onto the ground floor. But they just kept coming.

"We can't keep this up!" Nebula shouted as she parried another Ursa with her sword.

"I'll try to make an opening for you all to run," Pyrrha responded in-between breaths, panting heavily as her stamina waned.

A scream erupted in the clearing, and Pyrrha twisted her head back to see Tawny on the ground covered in blood. Nora brought out her weapon and broke the Ursa's neck with a mighty blow from above. Tawny struggled to get on her knees as blood cascaded down her usually pale cheeks. She pressed her hand into the wound near the stomach area, and winced. A fury unlocked in Pyrrha at the sight, going berserk as she decimated the remaining Ursai surrounding them. With an opening, Nora grabbed Tawny and sprinted with Ren and Nebula behind her.

She was alone now, but not for long thanks to Ren's ingenious tactics. From her waist, Pyrrha, snatched a black spherical object with a fuse; it wasn't a bomb, but something much more complicated and deadly. She threw it in the air and concentrated on her aura, spreading apart her arms and ripping the ball apart. Thousands of tiny needles shot out in conjunction according to her will, piercing the Grimm with the fire power of a gun. Polarity was useful, but not in a forest where metal was scarce, hence Ren's little invention.

Free to escape, Pyrrha joined with the others and gasped at a horrific sight. Underneath a large tree, Nora held Tawny's bloodied figure in her arms, the girl's eyes barely cracked open to see the blue sky. "Is she alright!?"

"It doesn't look good..." Ren answered, averting his gaze.

Tawny lifted her head, the rays of the sun reflecting off the red liquid that stained her left cheek, and she smiled. "Can... you do me a favor Pyrrha?"

"Yes, I'll do anything, we can do all sorts of stuff back at Beacon, isn't that right guys?" Pyrrha uttered, grabbing hold of the girl's delicate fingers.

"Tell...," she gasped, a trail of blood escaping her lips, "Tell, Jaune... that I always considered him a friend, and to never give up – not even... if I die." Pyrrha shook her head, not wanting to accept that Tawny was losing the battle.

But it was too late, and Pyrrha felt her pulse disappear, as Tawny shut her eyes with a constant smile. She was dead, and it was all her fault.


	5. The Macabre

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Chapter Five: The Horror

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

 **Hey guys what's up? Been busy with the usual, but glad to get another chapter of this out. Also if you haven't heard, The Heat, my other story will now be rated M, so if you didn't see it updated on the page, that might be why. I liked the reactions of what happened at the last chapter, as I and Cyndaquil talked about the pros and cons of the situation, so it wasn't just for shock or spur of the moment.**

 **There will be another author's note at the end of the chapter explaining something about the medical schools, I thought it would help clear the air about some details. Also let me know if you think I should do some bonus stories at the end of each chapter about Jaune's past.**

The calm flow of the stream was accompanied by the chirping of birds in a nearby tree, as Jaune looked up to see more red leaves fall. He turned to gaze at Weiss who was preoccupied watching the fish in the stream, her usual frown replaced by a curious smile. The rare instance made her appear radiant under the rays of the sun, the light reflecting off her pure white hair and tiara. The rest of her team would be arriving soon, and they could finally request for pickup.

From what he could tell, most of Weiss' pain dwindled, the medication he gave her earlier taking effect. Her blue eyes looked drowsy, no doubt a side-effect – he would probably have to carry her to the bullhead. Despite the encounter with the horde of Ursai earlier in the day, Jaune would consider their mission a success. They had enough information to report to the professors about the presence of Grimm in the area, such as the ferocious Ursa King whose appearance was still burned into his memory. He would never be able to tackle one of those straight on.

How he was able to kill an Ursa at all was a mystery. He would like to think that some of his Father's early training assisted him, but it was more likely the adrenaline and fear of death that drove him. When the Grimm's blood splattered onto his uniform, the experience was surreal, like something out of a novel or fairytale coming to life. He only dreamed of taking down a Grimm, an action that seemed impossible but now... yet somehow he prevailed against the savage beast.

Tawny wouldn't believe him, or at least shrug it off as luck, which made him wonder how she was doing. She was a lot more skillful then he was in the field, coming from a more practical mindset rather than his optimistic view. She always scored better then him in class, her marks even impressing some of the professors – Tawny was an enigma, but again so were most girls for him. Which begged the question of why Weiss thought he was attracted to Blake in the first place.

The question caught him off guard when she first asked, so he couldn't help but react so clumsily. Throughout the years of his childhood, he never took much thought to dating or fathoming the idea that some girl would give him chance. So to insinuate that he and Blake were even discussing a relationship was beyond him – besides, he knew nothing about her, and there was a good chance she didn't go for goofballs like him. So far every girl he knew ignored him in that respect.

Jaune didn't attend medical school for romance or love, so the idea of wooing a girl while he tried to prove to his family his worth was far from the truth. Although he still wanted to learn more about Blake as a friend, especially when it's obvious that she was far more caring then she let on. Embarrassing as it was, he also desired to learn more about the Faunus, his interaction with their kind had been very limited. Just reading a textbook didn't satisfy his need to learn.

Based on his miniscule amount of time with Blake, she was very reclusive and untrusting of strangers. Yet she was also very opinionated, not afraid of telling someone what she thought, including if it angered her. Then there was the fact that she hid her appendages under a black bow; she was still afraid of others reactions to her Faunus heritage. Blake also loved to read, considering how late in the library she was... that and Yang said she was bookworm in passing, of course Blake didn't need to know that.

From his "endless bag of wonders", as Weiss put it, he pulled out an orange leather book that was kept shut with a black strap. With the book open, he flipped several pages until he reached a blank page. A hobby of his was to write one or two poems a day whenever he had free time, something he picked up from his mother and younger sisters. He didn't consider them grand as compared to works by actual literary poets, but he found comfort in jotting down his thoughts.

With such little time, he decided to write about the chaotic situation they went through in the forest. He remembered all the details of their panic, including the description of the Ursa King itself. The feeling of helplessness in his body was so strong, years of studying and training reduced to nothing once he bared witness to the horror of the Grimm – beady little red eyes piercing his soul with the intent to kill. Humanity was nothing to them but a food source, an obstacle in their way of conquering all of Remnant.

For any human to cross their path with such strength, it was a miracle. How could his ancestors have pushed back so many Grimm with less technology and firepower? Truly, they were warriors in their own caliber.

A rustle from a nearby bush interrupted him, and he threw the book onto the ground. Weiss broke from her daze and pointed Myrtenaster at the source of the noise, but relaxed when a mane of blonde hair emerged – it was Blake and the others. Yang and Ruby dashed over to Weiss to check on her, while Blake stayed behind with her arms crossed. He let out a sigh of relief and picked up his book, postponing the poem until he got another chance to finish it.

"I'm so glad you're alright Weiss, I was so worried!" Ruby cried out as she embraced the heiress in a tight hug. He could hear the muffled sounds of protest as Yang chuckled.

"I see Jaune did a pretty good job of patching you up," Yang remarked as she hunched over to look at the bandages and flint. "Looks like it hurt."

"Obviously!" Weiss rolled her eyes at the comment and stood up with the help of Ruby.

"I did my best to alleviate the pain, but she'll need some real treatment back at the medical center in Beacon. Her recovering aura and the medicine I gave her is probably helping by now." While she still couldn't walk properly without the crutches, most of her stamina would have returned.

"No, you did an amazing job!" Ruby said with glee.

"Rubes is right, I'm pretty impressed," Yang added with a light punch to his shoulder.

"We're not too far from the landing zone, Will you be ok to walk Weiss?" Blake asked as she approached her teammate, not even glancing at him.

"Yes, I'll be fine." Weiss insisted, balancing herself with the crutches on the wet stones. They would have to cross the stream much to Weiss' chagrin.

Ruby and Yang aided Weiss across the stream, laughing off her complaints as water splashed onto her heels. Jaune thought it was nice to see her back to how she was before; crabby and insecure. Blake however, stayed behind, a curious expression present in her amber eyes. "How serious is Weiss injuries?" Oh, so that was why she looked worried.

"She endured a fracture around her leg – a dead Ursa fell on atop of her. I'm embarrassed to say it was my fault, she was trying to protect me." Jaune averted his gaze and began to scratch the back of his neck.

"Stop blaming yourself, I'm sure there's more to the story. What's that book you're clenching?" Jaune went blank until he realized he picked up his notebook from the ground earlier, the leather somewhat soaked from the water.

"Oh this," Jaune said nervously, "It's dumb, just some book I carry around to write poetry when I'm not busy." His laugh was followed by silence, the watchful stare of Blake's unsettling him. He must have said something to upset her.

Blake's lips curved into a small cute smile, and she grabbed the book from Jaune. "That's not silly at all, I would be interested in reading some... if that's ok?" He nodded, excited that someone would actually critique some of his work, always intending to ask Blake for advice.

"Are you guys done making out down there?" Yang called out with a chortle. Blake rolled her eyes and walked past Jaune, placing the book into one of her front pockets.

Before they arrived, Yang said they were able to successfully contact Beacon, and that a bullhead would be arriving at the landing zone in an hour. He was glad to hear that a medical team would also be dispatched for Weiss – Jaune did what he could, but it was out of his hands now. The marker for the landing zone wasn't too far out, about three hundred meters, and each of them were given a flare in case another team member lost one. Given the events, everything had gone fantastic.

The injury to Weiss didn't slow down their trek, passing through several clearings in the forest, home to more piles of leaves that would make any homeowner shiver in fear at the amount of work it would take to rake it all up. He resisted the childish urge to dive into the piles, the thought humoring him to some extent – He was sure Ruby would have joined in. Without the Grimm chasing them, the five of them were allowed the luxury of being in awe of the scenery.

In less than an hour, he would be able to relax in the warm sheets of his bed and forget about the blood thirsty mugs of the Ursa. Something would have to change however, he couldn't run blindly into the battlefield, they needed to strategize his position so Ruby didn't have to guard him. Would he need to consider some combat training? Or perhaps arm himself with some firearm if anything – these were all possibilities to consider with RWBY when they returned. Maybe he could ask Tawny for some advice.

He almost collided into Blake's back when he looked up to see them staring off into the forest. Jaune poked his head over Blake's shoulder and noticed the reason for their sudden pause; ahead of them, black egg-shaped pods were scattered across the forest floor, covered in leaves and dripping with slime. He was about to comment when Blake covered his mouth with her palm, shaking her head with caution. The eggs looked familiar, and he thought back to the text in the library.

"Let's move back for a bit," whispered Blake. Everyone nodded in agreement and tiptoed backwards, making the slightest movements.

"What are those things?" Jaune asked, still unable to place them – he knew they were some type of Grimm, and possibly acidic guessing by the smell.

"Arachnids..." Weiss answered.

And now Jaune remembered what he read about the spider-like Grimm. Arachnids were poisonous Grimm that laid eggs throughout dense forest areas, ands weaved their webs high above to encroach their prey. The acid they spewed from their mouths could paralyze even the strongest Huntsman or Huntress, eventually burning through a human's skin within hours. They were blind, and were attracted to noise and vibrations through the environment – and the only way to reach the destination was by sneaking across a nest of them.

There was also no way of knowing where the mother could be hiding. Arachnids usually reached a height of fifteen feet or more, easily towering an average person. Weiss being injured complicated things even further; the crutches he gave her would make too much noise if they attempted to cross, and no matter how skilled they were, being surrounded by a horde of Arachnids would spell their death. Jaune only saw one possible solution... he would have to carry her.

"Their very poisonous and sensitive to sound, I don't see Weiss traversing through." Blake commented, more than likely already deducing Jaune's plan.

He let out tired sigh and gulped. "I'll carry her, it's the safest way, but somebody will have to carry my bag." Ruby snatched his bag with a gleeful smirk before anyone could volunteer.

"Just watch where you touch," Weiss hissed.

Jaune crouched down and stuck his arms out for Weiss' legs, taking her warning to heart. With hesitance, the heiress approached him and took hold of his shoulders, a slight blush tinting her pale cheeks. He raised her up and grunted, adjusting to her sudden weight – though he was wise enough to know that a man should never comment about a woman's weight. The petite girl didn't bog him down too much, and her creamy legs were soft to the touch. He was quick to brush away any ill thoughts of course, not if he wanted to live.

"No one can make a sound," Blake reiterated with emphasis, "I don't think I have to tell you what will happen if they wake up." Blake unsheathed Gambol Shroud and walked ahead, inspecting the nest.

"Jaune, if you drop me, I'll kill you."

"I would... never think of it" Jaune almost struggled to say.

The five of them approached the nest in caution, overlooking the eggs that pulsated with life. An eerie silence covered the forest clearing, as if all animal life avoided the area like the plague. Blake decided to go first, sliding by the eggs as she controlled her breath, practically concealing her presence from the Grimm. Ruby went next, holding her mouth closed with pursed lips as she tiptoed through the leaves. The sight would have made him laugh, but Weiss dug her nails into his shoulders, acting as a painful reminder.

Yang cracked her knuckles with a grin and stepped into the clearing, sticking her arms out. She walked through the leaves and maneuvered through the eggs, sweat pouring down her exposed tan neck. Halfway through, she almost stumbled over a rock that poked through the dirt. She caught herself and hopped over the last egg onto Blake's side, wiping her brow with a sigh, earning a glare from her partner – now only Jaune and Weiss remained, a bit of trepidation overcoming the medic.

Each step would have to be precise, avoiding any obstacles such as the rock that Yang almost tripped on. Jaune placed his feet into the leaves with trepidation, winching at the slightest sound in fear. Seeing the eggs close up only fueled his anxiety, the slime trailing down the sides of the pod like water. Weiss eased her hold on his shoulders in an attempt to relax him, though he could feel her delicate hands tremble. For a second he peeked above them, spotting an intricate layering of webs tangled in the branches.

Weiss propped his head forward with a quiet huff and smacked him across the back. He continued across the densely covered ground floor and avoided the rock, sliding in-between two eggs as he and Weiss reached the other side. He let Weiss down and stretched his arms, but as he relaxed, Weiss shouted in pain, the injury in her leg flaring up. Jaune tilted his head to the side and spot the eggs tremor.

An irritable screech echoed in the forest above them, a large silhouette resting onto the clearing. Long pointed legs descended from the trees as the mother of the Arachnids became visible; its black sac reflected off the pillars of light that broke through the foliage. Each leg was covered in rough bone-like scales, while its face wore a mask with eight slit eyes that were permanently closed. Seeing the creature in real life didn't do much to dissuade his fear of the Grimm.

The top of the pods burst open as slime shot through the air, as tiny babies crawled out, eager to feast on the nearest prey. Yang immediately let loose a barrage of shotgun fire, blowing up the nests one by one as the sac's pieces scattered across the trees. Blake and Ruby started firing on the arachnid, but it only angered the Grimm as it shot out acid from its mouth. They dodged the pool as it sunk through the leaves and dirt, melting anything in its path.

"Retreat for now, we can't handle it in the forest!" Blake shouted, running past them. Jaune picked up Weiss and began to follow as Ruby and Yang tried their best to agitate the creature. Ruby flung back his medical bag in the chaos, as they all began to run from the mother and its remaining babies.

Even with their speed, the Grimm were catching up fast, their legs providing an advantage, while the mother thrashed trees and boulders that stood in their path. Some of the baby Grimm spit out more acid past their heads, the toxic clouds building up around them. Jaune covered his mouth and continued to run, not daring to look back – but with the landing zone approaching they wouldn't have anywhere else to run. He didn't want to risk another hour in the Forever Fall region, not with Weiss' condition.

Along the path, a trail appeared that forked in the road. The path on the right was populated with cobblestones and rotted wood from abandoned carriages. The landing zone was to the right, but with so many Grimm following, the bullhead wouldn't be able to land until the area was clear. Jaune took a gamble and continued heading right with Blake, while Ruby and Yang decided to go left and reunite later. Their diversion tactic worked, splitting the Grimm up as the mother Arachnid went after the aggressors.

They were allowed some breathing space, but a trail of baby Arachnids still followed as webbing continued to shoot past them. Blake turned around and fired Gambol Shroud at the group, shrieks of agony crying out as more of the Grimm exploded onto the dirt floor, leaving pools of acid. In the distance, he could see an upturned boulder that marked their destination. It led into a small clearing that was surrounded by fences; nature had overtaken it years ago, vines tangling up the boards.

"There's only a few of them left, we'll have to make a stand here!" Blake shouted as she whipped the ribbon on Gambol Shroud to knock back a few of the Arachnids.

"Jaune hold me up, I have a plan!" He hefted Weiss up by her waist, surprised that she didn't come back with a quip about touching her.

Jaune watched as Weiss narrowed her light blue eyes and concentrated on the group of Arachnids converging on the path. Some of her aura had returned over the hours, which probably helped mitigate the pain, but she would have use more. Weiss pointed the tip of Myrtenaster and took a calm breath – a glyph materialized in front of the rapier and spun like a clock, until she unleashed the attack on the Grimm. A wave of ice brushed against the ground like a torrent of water, freezing the Arachnids in place in one successive strike. They were safe.

He let down Weiss and laughed, the adrenaline in his body losing its effect. Jaune was so use to close-calls now that he felt like nothing could frighten him – except maybe the wrath of team RWBY. Blake walked over to help them both up and sheathed Gambol Shroud, a placated expression on her features. Amber eyes blinked once or twice as she hauled both of them up with a delayed groan.

"Thanks, I owe you-" Right as he was about to finish his sentence, a dying Arachnid from behind lunged onto Blake's shoulder and bit down into her neck.

"Augh," Blake cried out as she killed the Arachnid, quickly collapsing to her knees.

Blood trickled down the bite marks, and Blake's entire figure started to tremble as her breathing became labored, the poison coursing through her bloodstream. Jaune rushed over to his bag and pulled out a small plastic wrap of needles and a bottle of penicillin. He had done this thousands of times but with Blake's life on the line he could feel his hands shaking from the pressure while Weiss screamed in the background. He sterilized Blake's arm and steadied the needle, looking for a spot of fatty tissue on the back of the hand.

The penicillin would slow down the poison while he prepared an antidote. It only required a few simple ingredients - thankfully some of those were in his bag. He placed his palm on her forehead and checked her body temperature... it was still cold, but her heartbeat stabilized. What he needed was ice, and perhaps a log or rock that he could use to elevate Blake. The textbook back in the library said that Arachnids dispensed latrotoxin, which if untreated caused immediate death.

"Weiss," He calmly mumbled, "I need some ice." She nodded and created a small block of ice with a glyph, throwing it over to Jaune.

With the ice in hand, Jaune lifted Blake up and placed the block near her neck to reduce the swelling. Now he needed to work on the antidote.

"Please tell me she's not going to die." Weiss pleaded.

"I need to make an antidote fast, but I'm not sure if I have the final ingredient on hand," Jaune replied as he scoured his bag for the materials.

"What's the last ingredient?"

"A sample of Savolia, I don't suppose you know where to find some?" Jaune asked with a panicked expression – everything was prepared, but Savolia was hard to come by and usually only sold in apothecaries in doses.

"I do know," Weiss blurted, "There are trace amounts of Savolia in the syrup we collected in the Forever Fall! We learned about it in class." Of course, it made sense; Arachnids feasted on the syrup just as the Ursa then when humans weren't around to satisfy their hunger.

The syrup filled their sacs and mixed with the poison, which probably led doctors to use Savolia as a countermeasure. He rushed over to one of the trees and borrowed Myrtenaster from Weiss, thrusting the rapier into the bark as hard as possible. He pushed with more force against the hilt, driving the rapier further into the trunk until some of the sticky substance leaked from the tree and onto the ground. The antidote would only need a miniscule amount to work... if it did.

Jaune poured the ingredients in a small bowl and pulled out a harden spoon, mashing the medicine together until it was a fine liquid.

The antidote was ready, and he walked over to Blake and lifted her head, praying that it worked. Gently, he held the bowl to her lips and poured it into her mouth until the bowl was empty – now he would just have to wait. In the corner, Weiss remained quiet, not that he could blame her after everything that happened today. The Grimm were such an overwhelming force of evil, and it made him wonder what humanity did to deserve such ruthlessness... but that was more of a philosophical question. He grabbed Blake's wrist and checked her pulse, so far it appeared to be working, lowering her head back on the ground.

She would live.

* * *

Darkness was all Blake could see at the moment, her body powerless to move as she witnessed a plethora of memories flashing before her eyes. She couldn't place her location, but it looked like a warehouse full of White Fang soldiers, moving crates and barrels of supplies for their next raid. To the right she spotted a younger version of herself and Adam, sparring to the amazement of onlookers. She looked to be about eleven – back then it was hard to keep up with Adam's grace, always leagues ahead of her in pure skill.

Things were much simpler back then, protest and raids on dust factories to raise money for homeless Faunus. Now what had they become, terrorists? The memory faded, and was replaced with a stormy night in a damp swamp, only the flashes of lightning illuminating the environment. She could see the blood soaked steel of Adam's sword as he tossed aside a human soldier, showing no remorse for the action, only conviction. But he wasn't the only one... She was covered in blood as well, her hands trembling as Adam tried to console her. Was any of it really worth it, killing in the name of freedom?

A pinching sensation assaulted her brain as her eyes fluttered open, the familiar sound of the bullhead's rudders filling the silence. As the world came into detail, she could make out the blonde tresses of her partner and Ruby's tear-filled silver eyes hovering over her. She could barely remember what happened, her body still lethargic.

"Oh my god, she's awake!" Yang excitedly cried out.

A mighty embrace overtook her as Yang pulled her in. "What... happened, wait Jaune and Weiss!" She remembered now, about the Arachnid biting her - she was poisoned, and should have been dead.

"They're right here," Yang giggled at her reaction, "You should be kissing Jauney boy's ass right now – he saved your life." She blinked a couple of times, absorbing the information. So Jaune saved her?

"How did you escape?" Blake mumbled as she tried to sit up.

"We took care of them no problem!" Ruby quipped. She was careless to let that Grimm bite her like that, and that dream... it seemed so real, maybe an effect from the poison?

"I'll be honest, I was freaking out myself," Jaune cut in, scratching his cheek. "You should thank Weiss for thinking so quickly." She peeked at Weiss who blushed from the acknowledgement.

She found herself in an awkward position, as she was never the one to be saved... not for a long time. The brevity of the mission took a lot out of her, the thought of sleeping in her bed comforting. She would have to thank both Weiss and Jaune, and despite usually being embarrassed to do so, she found it now appropriate.

"Guys, I-"

Her apology was cut short as a muffled static noise erupted from Jaune's pockets. The blonde took out a transceiver and adjusted the knob on top near the antenna, until the sound became clearer.

 _I repeat, we have two 0978s, evacuation is underway currently. We need preparations for the faculty and medical team._ The message kept repeating, but only Jaune's pale face was of interest in the call.

"Jaune, what's wrong?" Yang questioned.

"A 0978... That's code for a casualty, two people have died." The weight of his words traveled about the room, leading to pained expressions from her teammates while Jaune wallowed in his seat. She should have been surprised like the others, but the inevitability of death for the medics was too high.

The rest of the trip back to Beacon Academy was silent and uneventful, the tragic news too much for the energetic girls. She found herself too weak to move properly, let alone comment on the situation. What could she say anyway? She wanted to be wrong and think that everyone would survive the routine exercise between schools, but that was being optimistic. It wouldn't be right to reaffirm her position on the matter after hearing about the student's death. Silence was what they needed right now, especially with what to expect at school.

The trip only took around ten minutes, and as the bullhead landed, Blake could make out most of the students returning with their respective teams. Most of them wore delighted expressions, no doubt their missions successful, and unlike her team she saw no other wounded to speak of. Carelessness was the main factor on their part, relying too much on aura – in retrospect they also needed to devise a strategy that could utilize Jaune's abilities on the field.

Strong hands lifted her out of the bullhead as a Beacon medical team propped her onto a yellow stretcher, while administering some IV. She glanced over at Jaune who watched the bullheads land, looking for the ones that carried the bodies of his past acquaintances. Her eyes grew tired as the paramedics strolled her away, missing the chance to apologize - she didn't want to dream.

* * *

His gut twisted in pain and anxiety as he waited with others to see who died. The small team selected for Beacon knew each other well even if they didn't socialize in the same circles, Jaune knew all their names by heart. But the true reason he was scared, was because he could have been one of those who died by the Grimm, only barely surviving out in the wilds with RWBY. Everyone appeared so happy, as if the two deaths meant nothing in the long grand scheme of defeating the Grimm. Were lives so meaningless now in this everlasting war?

"Clear a path!" A medical personnel screamed. He directed his attention and noticed the stretchers carrying two bags. Not far behind them was JNPR... and Pyrrha Nikos was in tears, flailing her arms from Ren and Nebula.

"J-Jaune," Pyrrha mumbled through tears. "I-I'm so sorry, It's all my fault, please forgive me!" she wailed until Nebula pulled her off.

Without thinking, he sprinted over to the left stretcher and unzipped the bag. The staff protested in anger before grabbing his shoulders, but it was too late... staring back at him was the lifeless face of Tawny. Her eyes were closed and hair disheveled, but a smile still remained on her bloody lips; he only caught a glimpse of the wound she sustained. Not that it registered in his mind at all as he collapsed on his knees, eyes shimmering in denial.

Tawny was dead, the closest thing he had to a friend for several years was now gone, taken in only a few hours. She promised to stay alive and prove everyone wrong with him right? So why... how did she die? Nothing was comprehensible at the moment, tears flowing onto the cobblestones of the academy as several paramedics tried to lift him up. He was a like a ragdoll, unable to move because of the pain in his heart, a sensation akin to thousands of needles piercing it at once.

The voices in his head that reinforced his doubts surfaced, blaming him for following through with his moronic aspiration. Did proving everyone wrong mean so much that he was forced to abandon a life of normalcy - how much death would he have to confront until his goal was achieved? The thought of anymore friends dying only further crushed his heart, and as he thought back to Weiss and Blake's brush with death, he stood up and ran, seeking the comfort of his bed to hide from the rest of the world.

"Jaune wait!" Weiss called out, but he was gone.

"Let him be for now," a calm voice said from behind. "Mr. Arc is going through a tragic loss right now... one that everyone must recover from." She recognized the familiar forlorn look of Headmaster Ozpin, but his eyes appeared dazed.

"Children, we should leave for now," Glynda interjected, avoiding the murmurs of nearby students. Weiss wanted to protest and stay, but the look on Jaune's face continued to haunt her – feeling correct never brought her such displeasure.

A great feeling of remorse consumed her, and for the first time in a while, Weiss, felt a tear escape from her light blue eyes.

 **Just some notes for you guys out there. To make it clear, not every student at the Vale Medical Preparatory school was selected to go to Beacon, only those who chose to be field medics. The school also teaches doctors, nurses, etc. The mortality rate is only high for those who choose to serve on the battlefield, so it's not like every person who trains in medical school is being sent out just to die.**

 **I did some research on poisoning, especially from spiders and the various treatments, so I hope it came through ok, even if the ingredient for the Vaccine is spotty at best. Hopefully this doesn't come off as hammed in. And of course Jaune is devastated now, questioning everything he believes in, not to mention Pyrrha as well.**


	6. Stages

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Chapter Six: Stages

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

 **Hey guys, well I'm back from vacation and ready to continue my regular schedule update again. I was at RTX, and boy... that RWBY panel blew my pants away. No seriously, it was amazing, I mean new animation!? Anyway, I haven't forgot about any of my series, and while I was having fun, the story was further developed. For this chapter, things get a little dark, especially in regards everyone's reactions of what happened in the last chapter.**

For so many years, escorting the dead to the empty tombs of the mortuary situated beneath the academy never became an elementary task. To Ozpin, it was the one location he avoided if at all possible; the dank and cool room was rarely visited, with one of the doctors from the medical wing taking up the task to examine the bodies. At this point however it didn't really matter – Grimm were usually responsible for nearly all the deaths that took place at Beacon. The worst part was informing the families, but thankfully that task was left to the headmaster of the Vale Medical Preparatory school.

Ozpin wrinkled his nose and cleared his throat, the urge to consume a cup of coffee surfacing. As he exited the elevator, his cane echoed as it met the concrete stairs that were barely illuminated by the lights hanging above on the pillars on both sides. The stairs led to a narrow hallway that stretched over to a single metal padded door with mist escaping from the crack under the door. Glynda elected not to attend, more concerned with the mental state of her students – though he heard that Jaune Arc locked himself away in his room for several days.

He rapped the door three times, until it creaked opened with the doctor on the other side, his face covered in a mask. Ozpin felt his shoulders go stiff from the sudden chill that assaulted him, but paid it no attention, striding past the doctor to see the naked bodies of the two children strewn about the table. The autopsy was already completed, their stomached threaded shut and their eyelids cleaned. They appeared so peaceful given their circumstances. He stood next to the cold body of the girl known as Tawny, and crouched on one knee.

"I'll give you a minute, Headmaster." The doctor uttered, shifting out of the room in a hurry.

The headmaster bowed his head, staring at the concrete floor that cracked in the middle, and the dust that filled the outlines. A sigh escaped from him, and he looked up to stare at the body, focusing his sight on her shut eyes. "I would like... to extend my full condolences – I failed you while you were under the protection of my school."

Only met with silence, Ozpin, lifted himself up from the ground and adjusted his glasses, wiping away a lone tear that dripped down his cheek. There was nothing else he could say that would justify their deaths, only the excuse of politics and budget cuts left for the poor souls to blame. Their only solace was to be free from the never ending war with the Grimm – this could have been prevented if the proper steps were taken, not that his countless warnings would ever make themselves heard by the council members.

His duty was done, leaving him a chance to address the student body with another report of innocents lost. The speech was already prepared in his head – it would be brief, but enough for the children to digest and mull over. Some would consider him a hypocrite, especially since his job was to send out teenagers to battle monsters of unimaginable horror to protect the world. No, his job was to meld them into warriors and become the saviors Remnant needed.

A shame that so many would have to die for peace.

A week had gone by, and Weiss still couldn't forget the look of horror on Jaune's face when he unzipped that body bag. She relaxed her head back on the fluffy infirmary pillow, dragging the covers down to her stomach because of the heat. The surgery to fix her leg only took a couple of hours the night they returned, but the whole ordeal in the Forever Fall tired her out, the welcome comfort of sleep consuming her. Weiss was always an early riser, and the mornings following were no different. Each day was the same, but the wait for her team following classes was always dreadful.

How atrocious was it that classes still resumed after two students died? Then again, almost no one else was effected by the loss except her circle of friends and Jaune, but the fact left with her a bad taste of the normalcy. But what she found even more intolerable, was the lack of pure sympathy she should have expressed – she was unable to shed any tears for a total stranger, and it worried her. The only solace was that all of her friends were still alive.

She turned her head to the left and gazed out the window, taking in the picturesque blue sky and drifting clouds. A low branch hung in view, and in the corner of the trunk was a small nest. The scene was too cliché, like something out of a soppy romance movie, but she enjoyed it. The peace was somewhat unsettling compared to the events days ago, still cursing her mistake, regardless if it was because she was defending Jaune – she wasted her aura way too fast.

A loud slam jolted her as Ruby and the others rushed into the infirmary as a nurse protested their noisiness. A ball of red collided into her side as Ruby ensnared her frame with her tiny childlike arms. Where she got her extraordinary strength was beyond her.

"I'm so glad you're okay Weiss," Ruby blurted out, "Are you doing ok - is there anything you need? Oh, I know, how about I-" She covered Ruby's mouth and rolled her eyes, waiting for her excited partner to calm down.

"To answer your question, I'm doing fine. They performed surgery last night, but it will take a week or so to heal up completely with my aura." Ruby let out a relieved sigh, her cheery smile infectious as it spread to even Blake.

"I see you're doing fine as well." She directed at Blake.

"Yes, if not for Jaune's quick thinking I could have died... the doctors only needed to bring down my fever." Blake broke eye contact and stared at the floor, embarrassed to voice her own mistake in battle.

"By the way Weiss," Yang cut in, "there's another reason we came to see you, not that we don't adore coming to see you're crabby face." The blonde's joke aside, she was curious – if it was news on Jaune and the others, it would be most welcome.

"What's going on?"

Yang hesitated to speak until Blake stepped forward. "Headmaster Ozpin called an assembly for the students after lunch, and we're sure it's because of... what happened in the Forever Fall." An announcement?

"Oh, I almost forgot – be right back!" a trail of rose petals took the place of Ruby as she burst out of the infirmary. Weiss noticed a quick sigh from her blonde teammate, her usual energetic lilac eyes more focused.

"I assume you already informed Ruby of what happened?" Yang grimaced at the question and nodded, fiddling with a lock of hair.

"Yeah, of course, she's trying to take it in stride though, would probably be much worse if you and Blake didn't turn out okay. In fact, she's running to get you a gift as we speak – so be nice!" Yang chastised, poking her finger at the sheets. The tone was similar to how Winter would reprimand her.

"Speaking of... how is Jaune and the others doing?" An awkward silence followed the question, both girls diverting their gaze and shuffling their feet.

"According to Goodwitch, he's been locked in his dorm since he returned, they've been unable to get a response from him. Ren told me Pyrrha's also pretty devastated – the poor girl keeps blaming herself." Yang explained it all with a downcast gaze, her voice shaken at the news.

"So it's our fault, we should all just wallow in pity?" Yang was broke out of her pitied state and stared in confusion, tilting her head at the question.

"Why shouldn't we feel bad, people just died Weiss."

"Only because they chose to step on the battlefield."

How she presented her statement might have been cruel, but it was fact. Jaune and the other medics chose to serve on the field with Huntsman and Huntresses, after all, the school taught them of the risks that could occur. She shouldn't have to feel guilty because the Grimm did what they did – it was war, causalities are to be always expected. Of course she felt bad for Jaune, he just lost a friend, yet she was taught to look past this, to keep moving forward lest she be dragged down by her emotions. Although if it wasn't for people like Jaune, she and Blake might have died yesterday.

"You don't mean that right, that doesn't mean we should just forget them!" Yang almost yelled, earning uneasy stares from the medical staff.

"No, of course not," She whispered, "But we're Huntresses in-training, the possibility of death is always open. This is something we have to get used to." Yang dropped her glare and pursed her lips, a huff escaping from her thin lips as she accepted the truth.

"It's something we all have to learn to adjust to," Blake remarked from behind as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Weiss knew what she was referring to – all the friends she probably lost while in the White Fang. She couldn't blame Yang for being optimistic, she was only trying to shield Ruby from the cruel reality of the world.

Blake got up from the wall and approached her bed, placing a hand on her shoulder in a display of comfort. "We need to leave for the assembly, I'll have Ruby leave the gift outside while you get some rest." Yang nodded and left out the door, a somber expression still present on her face.

"Thank you Blake," She returned the gesture and squeezed her hand for some form of warmth. "I need some time alone to think." Blake shook her head, letting go of Weiss and leaving the room as her boots clicked against the tiled floor.

The door shut as some of the light from the room faded, and a shadow was cast onto her rested frame. A cloud blanketed the sun outside the window, setting the mood for her train of thought. Weiss gripped the cover of her sheets and pulled it back up to her neck, the absence of Blake's warmth from earlier troubling. She was conflicted, unsure of how to feel regarding the past couple of days, wanting a way to justify her lack of sympathy for the girl known as Tawny. Was she that horrible? Could she really not care like the others did?

Weiss twisted in the bed, careful to not irritate her leg while sitting the pillow on top of her hair. She was glad it was only her team who visited – She wasn't comfortable when people saw her hair laid bare, it was just so plain and non-formal in her opinion. Even with the room quiet, she could hear the distinct sounds of footsteps and the beeping of monitors from the other room. She didn't want to leave the infirmary and have to face the dreaded faces of her friends, let alone Jaune. How was she to thank him now when he was emotionally broken?

Life just wasn't fair... a sentiment she constantly felt while training as a little girl to be the perfect heiress. There was no time for her to dawdle and complain, there was only one task at hand. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and there was no time for friends – at least that was what her servants and Father taught her. But what made her afraid of the most, was that one day everyone she met would drift away like the snow while she buries herself in the company. Speaking to Jaune at all was a mistake.

Perhaps if Jaune and his friends had never come to Beacon, everything would have stayed the same. No one would have died and her team's happy-go lucky demeanor would have remained intact – yes it was Jaune's fault, he should have known what would have happened. Even if she knew it was wrong, she needed someone to blame. All she could do at this point was distance herself again, to push away the boy who saved her life... it was laughable how manipulated her life was. She envied Jaune, how free he was to defy his family.

Tired with berating herself, Weiss flipped over on the bed and relaxed, her soft blue eyes fluttering shut. As long as she was asleep, no one controlled her.

* * *

Another brown leather book slammed against Jaune's room as he remained bent over his table whimpering. With his left arm he threw his supplies and other textbooks onto the ground into a pile, a weak laugh erupting from him. Jaune considered himself a fool for even attempting to make sense of how he felt right now, scrambling for answers in psychological texts detailing the many stages of grief one could experience. Tears stained the metal desk in his room despite his worn out eyes, his body exhausted from crying every few minutes or so.

An author by the name of Kubler Bolt presented a medical theory that humans experienced a series of different phases when losing a love one or feeling great loss. From what the text was saying, he was on stage two: Anger, but that was laughable – he postulated that he already went through most of the stages in one night. But who was he to say? There was no telling what everyone thought of him right now, especially all of those students that mocked their skills. Weiss had been right the entire time, they couldn't help on the battlefield.

Sure he saved her, but it was his fault... if she hadn't risked her life to protect him from the Ursa, she would have never suffered a fracture. He was an idiot with a feeble dream, simple as that, and what about the fabulous Pyrrha Nikos, wasn't she supposed to be some almighty champion? And yet she couldn't even protect one defenseless girl. Jaune remembered the wounds he briefly saw, the jagged claw marks against her stomach and the puncture wounds from the Grimm's fangs. She went quickly.

He stood from the desk and kicked one of the books on the floor across the room, not caring that it dented the edges of the text. Jaune collapsed on the bed and sat there in the dark, the blinds to his room shut so the outside world couldn't invade. The door was locked, although Professor Goodwitch attempted to speak with him several times throughout the week. He never answered, not desiring conversation from anyone, let alone any of the staff at beacon who could have intervened and saved them. What did it matter, the Hunters considered them throwaway tools, just extra bodies to pile in the war with the Grimm.

One eye peeked below at the floor on the right side of his bed, noticing _that_ one particular book, the one that started Jaune's pursuit into the medical field. He tossed aside the blue covers to his bed and snatched it up from the floor, grabbing it tight on both ends and trying foolishly to tear it in half in anger. Maybe his Father was always correct, that he would amount to nothing because of his lack of training and skill, and that his only place in the world was back at home farming. A tear dropped on the cover of the book – he tried to close his eyes and stop the next downpour, but he lacked the strength, collapsing onto his knees.

The amount of fatigue from mourning was taxing on Jaune. All he wanted to do was rest and never wake up, to forget about school and Tawny... but how long until another mission was announced? He wouldn't be up for it, and if he quit now the berating from his sisters back at home would be unbearable. He got up from the ground and headed back over to his desk, the book still in his grip as he wiped away the tears with his other hand. Jaune placed the book on his table and opened it up, flipping the page to the quote that inspired him years ago.

His narrowed ocean blue eyes were puffy, but as he stared at the page, nothing happened. A chuckle began to sound, the thought of some message bringing him back from despair was humorous. A miniscule speck of hope was all he needed... for someone to reveal the light in the dark. A gentle knock on his door broke him from his thoughts, followed by a few seconds of silence until the familiar authoritative tone of Professor Goodwitch spoke from the other side of the door.

"Jaune... it's Professor Goodwitch again." With reluctance, he marched over to the door and decided to open it, tired of the loneliness that encompassed him.

"H-hello, Professor." Talking didn't feel natural, like a lethargic task.

"I'm glad to see you decided to talk, we've been worried about you." Glynda placed her hand on his shoulder.

The warmth from the young woman's hands were comforting, and he invited the professor in. Jaune decided to lie on his bed while Glynda sat in his only chair by the desk, cradling something wrapped in tinfoil under her left arm. He didn't know what to expect from her, perhaps a chiding in not allowing Beacon's staff to properly check up on him, or maybe a quick lesson because of the classes he missed today. Glynda's expression remained demure, blinking in small intervals as she sat the tinfoil down on the desk.

"Are you hungry Jaune, I brought you a sandwich." She pointed to the tinfoil wrapped sandwich. A low grumble erupted from his stomach, having gone hours without food.

"I, I will thank you." He got up from his bed and walked over to the desk, grabbing the sandwich and undoing the tinfoil that surrounded it.

The sandwich was simple: turkey, tomatoes, mustard, and lettuce – it was enough to satisfy him however, as he devoured it in mere seconds like a starved animal, crumbs falling onto the floor. He would have been embarrassed to eat in such a way, especially in front of an esteemed professor, but nothing mattered to him now. When he was done, he crumbled up the tinfoil and threw it into the trashcan near the door, wiping away the stains on his mouth.

"Quite hungry weren't you?"

"Yeah I suppose so... what did you want Professor?" A stupid question, though it was the only way he saw of broaching the subject.

"That much should be obvious, the faculty and you're friends are extremely worried about your condition. What you're doing isn't healthy, nor will it help with your grieving." He knew to expect it, but he still averted his gaze, finding the ground more favorable to Glynda's intense stare.

"It's too hard," He mumbled, "I tried to do my best, to prove everyone wrong – that even someone as weak as I, could help others. And what happened? I almost got Weiss killed, and now Tawny..." He couldn't even finish until he started blubbering, hardly any more tears left to spill.

"You may not believe this, but you're not weak, not by any standard whatsoever. I heard what you did for Miss Schnee and Miss Belladonna – we would be mourning four students if not for your intervention." Glynda stood up from the chair and walked over to his bed, sitting next to the blonde.

"I-if that were true... then." He whimpered.

Glynda in a rare form of sincerity, grabbed Jaune and pulled him into an embrace. She didn't care if he was staining her blouse with tears, the boy needed comfort from an adult, and his estranged parents weren't available. The woman knew too well about the Arc family's treatment of their son, and the feeling of helplessness that he felt was not unknown to her. Glynda was quite familiar when it came to dealing with the loss of a friend – a sad truth for most Huntsman and Huntresses. She was never cut out to be a mother, so the act of holding a crying teenager was foreign to her, but it made her feel good to help.

"What can I do... please tell me Professor?" Jaune looked up into the professor's eyes, his eyes shimmering as he awaited for an answer.

"Remember them – don't linger on the past and what ifs, reminiscent about the better days. Jaune, everyone at Beacon is available to talk, and if you ever need someone to convey how your feeling, my office is always open." He didn't answer, only nodding his head as he turned away from Glynda in embarrassment at his actions.

The pain in his heart was still there, but the heaviness he felt earlier was lifted. The memories of their short time together back at the Vale Medical Preparatory School seemed like years ago. He would heed the Professor's advice and try to move forward, even if it was still difficult to move around without bursting into a slobbering mess. What he needed was sleep, a moment to relax and not dwell on her death. Some of the books he read said that counseling was an optimal healing process.

"I'll, take your offer into consideration, Professor."

"Thank you," Glynda let go of Jaune and stood up, "I'll be going now, I and Ozpin need to prepare arrangements for the family." The family... oh lord, he didn't know what to say to Tawny's mother.

"Don't think about it Jaune, get some rest." Glynda made for the door and nodded, closing the door behind her with a soft click. Wouldn't it be so simple to forget?

He slipped under the covers of his bed and turned to face the wall. Jaune found that his eyes were already closing, a welcome sign as he needed the rest. They said in your dreams that the dead could speak to you... he hoped that was true.

* * *

Blake didn't know what drove her to pull out Jaune's book of poetry, but after days of dealing with somber attitudes and the sadden looks of her friends, she needed something uplifting and pleasant. She was alone in her dorm, as Ruby and Yang decided to head into Vale to pick up some things that might cheer Weiss up while she was cooped up in the infirmary. The nurses said that she would be released tomorrow, so taking advantage of the silence in the room was critical. So why choose Jaune's poetry of all things and not another romance novel she loved? Hearing today about Jaune's reclusive nature probably triggered it.

She relaxed against her pillow on the bunkbed, releasing a lax sigh as she opened up the orange leather book and undid the black strap. There was no introductory message, just the first poem scribbled out in pencil. Blake didn't mind, as long as the writing itself was legible; the handwriting actually wasn't terrible, perhaps almost better then hers. There had to be over a thousand poems in the notebook, even if they weren't masterpieces, Blake admired his commitment to the craft. She never attempted to write before despite her love of reading – the amount of ideas in her head could be the source for hundreds of novels.

The first poem was short: _The month of August was quiet, tiny leaves fluttering to the ground, destined for the cold hard surface of the world. A breeze that followed would lost for only minutes, but seem like decades to the lifeless grass that swayed against the wind._

Believe it or not, but she found herself in awe at the simplest details that Jaune wrote down. It wasn't the most elegant of poems by far, especially since it didn't follow any particular beat or rhythm. She flipped through the book and glanced at different sized poems, noticing that along the way some details became more concise. With more discipline and time, Jaune could turn into a very competent writer – it was too bad Weiss was ignoring him, the heiress was sure to have some advice in that category.

She placed the book down and stretched, peeking over at her scroll that now read 9:00 P.M., much later then she anticipated it to be. In all her time of lounging in the room, she forgot to eat dinner. It was almost hard to believe that Yang and the others still had yet to return, and boredom was beginning to set – she expected to be tired after having classes. The restlessness lead her mind to wander, curious to know how Jaune and Pyrrha was faring. Ren would have said something if they needed her help, and Nebula texted her earlier to say that Pyrrha fell asleep crying again.

How Pyrrha blamed herself for Tawny's death, was puzzling to the Faunus. The peerless girl must have done her best to prevent any harm to Tawny, and from what Nebula and Ren mentioned, she slaughtered hundreds of Grimm. The creatures of the dark were ruthless, and they would have looked for any opening in their formation – even the Grimm could figure out who the weakest link on a team was. The harsh reality was though, that almost all her friends weren't prepared to face death, much less Ruby Rose, their innocent team leader.

You would think that a school for Huntsman and Huntresses would have classes or counseling to prepare students for any losses on the battlefield. Of course during the assembly, Ozpin offered just that, inviting anyone affected by the mission to visit the professors. At the end of the day, mistakes were made, and the medics didn't seem ready for the lifestyle that was war... what was the Council thinking? She would never know the political machinations behind the arrangement.

Done musing, Blake turned back to look at the book Jaune lent her, the presence of it somehow feeling out of place with the rest of her belongings. Maybe it was a poor excuse to check on the fool – she needed to thank him as well, if it wasn't for him, she could have died. It irked her to feel obligated to someone else, Blake never having been in the position to be saved, unless it was by Adam. She wouldn't let some pride get in the way of doing what was right; not one to admit it, but she was horrible when it came to apologies.

Blake Yawned and grabbed the book off the top of her bunk, turning off the lights before heading into the halls. She didn't have an exact plan on how to get Jaune to answer, since he was locked in the room for days. His room was situated on the other side of the academy – most of the students from the medical school were separated from everyone at Beacon. Ozpin probably figured that bullying was inevitable given the tensions between the two groups. Not surprising at all to be honest.

The hallways were empty, and from the windows she could make out the shattered moon from the corner. Blake stared at the door with her amber eyes and sighed, unable to predict what would happen after she knocked on the door – probably silence if she had to guess. They always said that procrastination was humanity's biggest flaw... she found this all so awkward, how nervous she was.

The back of her palm knocked softly on the door, though loud enough that Jaune would hear it. She gave it a few seconds before knocking it again, but at this point Blake wasn't expecting an answer. She decided if Jaune didn't answer, then she would just hold onto the book until he was ready to come out – until the door opened and startled her.

"Jaune – I, didn't expect you to open the door." She tried to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Sorry, yeah I'm kind of surprised as well... um, what are you doing here?" Blake studied his figure, his blonde hair more ragged than usual, and his blue eyes were narrowed, the edges of his lids jaded with black lines.

"To return this." Blake presented him with the notebook and Jaune's eyes lit up, grabbing hold of the hard edges with an upturned smile. She was glad to see him moving about instead of wallowing in the dark like she heard.

"Thank you Blake, I really appreciate this – what did you think?" Even when he spoke, his voice sound tired, as if he gave up long ago.

"Honestly, I thought they were really good, but you could do better with more practice. Tell me, do you usually just write what's on your mind?" Any excuse to drive the conversation away from Tawny was fine.

"Glad to see you liked them," Jaune looked back into the room and pushed the door further open. "Would you like to come in for a second?" She would have declined, but she still needed to apologize, that and he looked like he needed the company at the moment.

As she entered, her inspection of the room was brief; a simple desk and bookshelf with a bed and window covered by the blinds. Jaune flipped on the lights and sat on his bed, rubbing the front of the notebook with his hand. She opted to sit in the chair, crossing her legs as she made herself comfortable.

"Another reason why I came by Jaune... well, I need to apologize and thank you." Jaune flinched at her suggestion, his smile vanishing at being slightly reminded about the mission. She knew this wouldn't be easy.

"Blake, you have no reason to apologize," Jaune responded curtly, surprising her by his tone of voice. "You made a simple mistake, it happens in battle... I saw you were in trouble, that's why I saved you." A simple mistake, she didn't see it that way, considering she almost died.

"Jaune, I almost died, what you did is no small matter. Don't let anyone say otherwise. Not only that... but what happened in the Forever Fall is no one's fault!" her outburst came as a surprise to herself, but seeing Jaune hunched over with that dead-eyed expression angered her.

"We should have never been out there, you and Weiss were right the whole time."

Blake scoffed. "Listen to me – what you do, no, what all of you do from that school is to help save lives where others can't, and you proved that." Blake folded her arms and glared at Jaune, her ears twitching behind bow. She hoped the conviction was present in her glare.

He needed to know that she was wrong.

"I...," Jaune lifted his head to look at her, blue eyes focusing on her amber one's as they shook and became blurred by tears. "Why did it have to happen Blake, why did they have to die?" She lost her intensity, the weight of the transparent question weighing on her.

"Life is cruel, but there is always a beacon of hope, you just have to search for it." Jaune sniffled, wiping away the tears.

"I always look for it in this book, the one that inspired me to be who I am today." Jaune walked over to his desk and held out the worn gray book. But the author's name caught her attention immediately.

"Dr. Peach... is that the author?"

"Do you know who it is?" Jaune asked. "That's amazing, I never could find any information." Blake took hold of the book and cupped her chin, the realization hitting her in an instant.

"I do know _her_ , and she goes by Professor Peach."

 **Sorry if this is a crappy cliffhanger, but I found it the most appropriate place to stop. Now some of you may know or not, but Professor Peach is a canonical character, and was confirmed as a woman. Everything else is up in the air, so I'll be taking advantage of that. Hope you guys enjoyed the story, and sorry for the long delay.**


	7. A Significant History

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Seven: A Significant History

 **I found the response for the last chapter amazing, I'm glad you're all excited about what Professor Peach is going to bring to the table. A lot of lingering questions that readers of this story have been asking in past reviews will be answered, so I hope you're all excited. There will also be of course, a glimpse into what direction this story is heading in, including all the evil Grimm goodness you all expect! Also I would like to apologize if I confused some readers that Nora had died, she is indeed still alive, so sorry for the confusion.**

 **Hate to sound like a sellout, but if you haven't done so yet, go check out my new story,** _ **Indecisive Soul,**_ **the first chapter is up, and I'm curious to see what everyone thinks about it. Very different from my usual stories. Blake's Mistake will be ending quite soon as well!**

Not unlike Jaune was before, Pyrrha had remained in her dorm with the lights off whenever Ren and Nora weren't present. She was curled in a ball underneath the covers, hugging a gold blanket with red trimmings on the edge. The fabric was comforting when it caressed against her creamy skin. She had set the air conditioner on low, the cool air made her more susceptible to fall asleep, where she could forget about the events in the Forever Fall. Pyrrha's frame was tired, wracked from the sobs and lack of sleep she experienced during the week. She tended to avoid the recommendations of Ren to eat – when she did, it was difficult to swallow, the texture of the meal rough against her throat. Her body was suffering from the depression.

Tired of just lying in bed and starving, Pyrrha climbed out of her bed, threw aside the blanket and covers and headed for the bathroom. Knocking the door against the wall, not caring if it left a dent in the plaster wall, Pyrrha, bent over the sink and cupped the water into her soft calloused hands. She threw the cool water onto her face and let out a low pant, rubbing the droplets out of her groggy emerald eyes. She looked at her reflection in the smudged mirror, a flat expression present on her face. Her usual flowing red hair was messy, filled with knots and strands that stood on end. Pyrrha never looked so pathetic, like a lifeless doll with pent up sorrow.

Pyrrha grabbed a towel from one of their hampers and threw it on top of the shower door before turning the knob. Hot water poured onto her glistening skin, soothing her well-proportioned body of any aches and tense muscles. A nice hot shower was what she needed to clear her mind. Her stomach still twisted in pain – the grisly sight of Tawny's limp body against the splintered tree still racked her mind with grotesque images. Pyrrha slammed her fist against the tiled wall in the shower, closing her eyes in a vain attempt to forget. Her breath hitched, and she clambered onto her legs, turning off the shower. She needed air, to leave the room that was essentially her cell from the judging looks of others.

The halls were empty, and the cleaned windows outside strengthened the rays of the sun that blared into her eyesight. Pyrrha threw on only a red tank-top and some black shorts, with an orange jacket hanging on her shoulders. The crisp early morning air made her shudder - she grabbed hold of her shoulders and walked toward the stairs. Pyrrha forgot to check what time it was, too preoccupied with escaping the dorm, though if Nora and Ren were missing, that meant they were training near the hills, so about seven O'clock. She was beginning to regret walking barefoot across the campus, the concrete nippy on her feet.

The backside of the campus was mostly empty, save for the few sporting areas where students could mingle and play volleyball on the coarse sand. But Pyrrha headed away from there, heading into the long clearing that led to Beacon's garden club. The trail was filled with black cobblestones, and overhead was an arch covered in various colorful flowers from around the kingdom. Pyrrha could make out the outline of the greenhouse, a domed building covered in glass – inside were rows of potted plants sitting on metal desks, while on the ceiling was an oval opening where the sun could shine through. Again, this wasn't her overall destination.

In the early weeks of her first semester, Ren had taken her and the rest of the team to a small clearing near the cliffs of Beacon. He used for it meditation, a spot where he could get away from the franticness of the world and clear his mind – in secret, he also divulged to Pyrrha that it was a spot he used to relax without Nora. She found it the perfect area to not be disturbed, where she could relish in her own sorrow without being bothered by team RWBY or the worried professors. Some might have it called unfair of her to be so ashamed, but it was her responsibility as team leader to ensure Tawny was protected.

She brushed aside the shrubbery that obstructed her sight, watching her step of the torn roots and scattered pine needles below. Sharp rocks and torn leaves covered the low-cut grass, and from the trees above she could make out birds hopping across the tree branches. The spot wasn't very far from the greenhouse, and Ren mentioned that he never felt the presence of a Grimm. Pyrrha climbed over a familiar boulder that indicated where she was, red marks scratched across the surface as a waypoint. The clearing, unlike the rest of the journey in the forest, was covered in soft green grass, and a picturesque view of the other cliffs and the Emerald forest below. She took delight in the scenery, until she noticed another figure in a meditative pose in the middle.

Yatsuhashi Daichi, of team CVFY, sat peacefully in the middle of the clearing. His hands were folded in his lap, and his were shut eyes close, meditating against the calm breeze that past. Pyrrha was generally shocked – Ren had assured her that no one else knew of their spot. Not wanting the company, Pyrrha stepped back into the forest, snapping a branch underneath her feet. Yatsuhashi did not appear disturbed, maintaining an ever calming presence as a bird landed on his padded shoulder. She admit, it was very serene, like something out of a novel that Blake would read. Pyrrha wanted to stay, but she still didn't have the strength to face anyone in her condition.

"Miss Nikos," Yatsuhashi called out, surprising her. "This area is not mine alone to occupy – if you wish, I will not bother you." Pyrrha slid her hand down her right arm, unsure of his polite offer. She didn't know much about the second year student, only that he was composed and strong.

Pyrrha was uncomfortable to deny his welcome, and she stepped through the brush to sit down next to him in the clearing. She adjusted her long flowing red hair into a temporary ponytail, and struck a similar position to Yatsuhashi. Pyrrha calmed her breathing, and tried to clear her mind of any distractions, abandoning any ill thoughts. Her chest lifted, and air spurt from her nostrils. Ren taught her and the others a few techniques on meditation, although it was usually for naught with Nora Valkyrie around. She loved her ginger-haired friend, but the girl had too much energy.

A gulp sounded from her exposed neck, and a pained feeling shot through her stomach. Again the images of Tawny sacrificing herself ran through her mind, playing over and over like an old-school projector. Pyrrha convulsed forward, panting – Yatsuhashi twitched in response, gazing down at her struggling figure as she caught her breath. Not even the silent confines of nature could get her to calm down, the panic attacks almost eerily similar to her early days of tournament training. Pyrrha decided to give up, standing on her legs and averting her eyes to look at the ground, ashamed of losing her composure like that.

"Please don't go," Yatsuhashi calmly voiced, "If you do not mind Miss Nikos, there's a story I wanted to tell you." Pyrrha looked down at his large imposing figure in confusion – why would he suggest a story of all things?

"Well... I-I'm not sure," Pyrrha strangely mumbled. She was usually very articulate, yet she found it hard to speak for some reason, experiencing a moment of cottonmouth. Pyrrha's lips felt dry, and her mouth was parched – she wanted something to drink, preferably water if possible.

Yatsuhashi startled her by thrusting a canteen into her face. "Please sit down, you don't have to speak if it's too much trouble." Pyrrha took the canteen in her hands, twisting the cap off and relishing the cold water against her lips as it poured into her throat. She sat down across Yatsuhashi, and placed the canteen next to her feet.

"My apologies if I seem like I'm forcing you to stay – you may leave if you wish. I'm not the most talkative individual." A smile made its way on his rigid expression. His face was very muscular, and his short eyebrows caught her attention; he was said to be one of the most powerful students at Beacon.

"About two years ago," Yatsuhashi began, pausing for a second to let out a sigh. "The same program that allowed medics to cooperate with teams at Beacon took place, and our team in its freshmen year was chosen." Pyrrha's eyes lit up, her interest piqued.

"Were you all... also sent on a mission?"

Yatsuhashi gave a brief nod. "Yes, the five of us were assigned to escort an archaeologist through the Emerald forest near the academy. The mission was successful but... the medic on our team was killed in action." Pyrrha opened her mouth to response, but nothing came out, and she gazed at Yatsuhashi's somber expression.

"What did you all do, how could you continue knowing that you couldn't save a civilian on the battlefield? As Huntsman and Huntresses, it is our sole duty to protect them." Pyrrha whimpered partway through the sentence, wiping away a lone tear that drizzled down her cheek. A momentary flash of Tawny's body raced through her mind, but she ignored it.

"We stood up, and continued to go through our days in school, completing mission after mission without the guilt of losing another holding us back – do you know why?" Yatsuhashi proposed. Pyrrha shook her head, unable to fathom what drove their renewed sense of ambition.

"The last words Garret ever said... was to never give up. We understood the look in his eyes – he knew it was part of the job that he chose to pursue, knowing full well that he might die that day. A few weeks after his death, some of his old friends visited us. They were thankful, because we did everything in our power to save him from the Grimm, and that he died in the line of duty doing what he loved." She looked down, watching the grass under her legs dance against the light breeze. Pyrrha didn't know what to say – but she remembered what Tawny said before she died.

 _Tell Jaune, that I always considered him a friend – and to never give up, not even if I die._

"Thank you," Pyrrha whispered, "Thank you so much, Yatsuhashi, you don't know what that meant to me... I need to find my friends and apologize." She used her hand to wipe away more tears, but a large smile overtook her face. Yatsuhashi returned another smile and closed his eyes to return to his meditation – she figured Ren told him about the spot.

She made her back through the forest and past the greenhouse, running to the dorms in hope that she could catch Ren and the others. That wasn't the only person Pyrrha needed to see, she needed to speak with Jaune, to let him know the last words that Tawny spoke.

When she returned to the dorm hall, her bare feet were aching from stepping all over the rocks outside. She twisted the golden knob on the door and swung it open; inside Ren and Nora were throwing a red bouncy ball back and forth, while in the corner Nebula rocked out to some tunes on her headphones with a magazine in hand. Pyrrha stepped inside and pulled off her jacket, catching the surprising stares of her teammates – Ren stood up and approached her with caution, his stoic magenta eyes lighting up in worry.

"Pyrrha, are you alright – we were somewhat worried." Ren placed his hand on her shoulder, a slight grimace making its way onto his face as he saw the mood she was in. He could tell that her ragged appearance was gone, replaced with her normal positive optimism. Pyrrha squeezed his hand and nodded, brushing past him to gather her armor up.

"It's great to finally have you back Pyr," Nebula commented as she took off the lavender headphones. She brushed away a lock of blue hair and giggled – Nebula was always one to brighten the mood in their team.

"Our leader has returned!" Nora shouted with glee, bombarding her with a strong hug. The orange-haired girl rubbed her face into Pyrrha's bosom, mumbling about how worried she was – Nora also took some of the blame for Tawny's death because she was injured in the fight, yet Pyrrha hoisted all the guilt away from her. In a way it was selfish.

"No one is to blame for what happened out there," Ren voiced. Pyrrha stopped in front of the bathroom door, her golden bracelets and leggings hanging from her arms. "We all did the best we could – if we are to honor Tawny, then we should strive to do better in our training." Pyrrha didn't turn around, not wanting to show her team her face as tears slid down her tinged cheeks. She pushed the armor close to her chest and let out a sigh of relief. Her team was the greatest.

"Then we should start by paying Jaune a visit."

* * *

The first thing Jaune did when he woke up in the morning, was message Blake on his scroll. He didn't care if he had to skip classes for a day, finding Professor Peach took precedent over everything else. He still couldn't believe that the author of the book that inspired him to become a field medic was a teacher here at Beacon academy. Blake told him that she was very reclusive – she sent out lesson plans daily for the students so they wouldn't have to attend in one of the lecture halls. Apparently, there were implicit instructions not to disturb her office, which in itself was very odd.

He arranged for him and Blake to meet near the entrance of the faculty offices. At first he didn't expect the Faunus on team RWBY to skip class to help in his inquiry, but she willingly agreed, curious to know the truth herself. Blake arrived early in the halls, donning her Beacon school uniform with her arms folded as usual. She wore a demure expression, and her amber eyes glistened against the rays of the sun through the window – the black bow on her head twitched in response to his presence, which he found cute. The uniform Blake wore fit comfortable against her figure, and Jaune couldn't help but blush. She was definitely one of the cutest girls he ever met.

The entrance to the faculty offices was near the right side of the academy, towards the back in a pentagonal-shape building. The doors were extravagantly decorated like most of the other rooms in the school, while bearing only a small wooden plate nailed in the middle. Jaune pushed open the doors, pressing down on the slick metal handles. His mouth went agape when he saw how lavish the hall in front of them was. The floor was draped with red velvet carpets that looked recently pressed, while the walls were covered in accolades given to the professors by various newspapers and ceremonies.

Each door to a specific professor's office, was painted gold, with the edges adorned in bright green. The door knobs were made from a variety of diamond that was common in Vale, and they reflected against the overhead lights from the chandeliers above. Jaune proceeded forward and immediately spotted a reward for Professor Goodwitch that read: _Professor of the Year, 5_ _th_ _running._ The first door they passed belonged to Professor Port – next to the plating that read his name, were pictures of Grimm sketches like those seen on the chalkboard in his class. He always was described as a braggart.

It was near the end of the hall and by a glass stain window depicting a victorious huntress, where Professor Peach's office was located. There were no gaudy decorations such as Port or Oobleck's office doors, but a barren metal door painted in a light shade of matte gray paint. The book in Jaune's grip began to tremble in excitement – he was about to meet the very person that changed his outlook on life. There were so many questions he wanted to ask; about the program, how long she trained to be a huntress before settling on a medical degree, or how to use aura for healing purposes. A gulp escaped from his mouth, and Jaune let out a delayed sigh.

"Do you... think she's here?" Jaune peeked through the slit in her mail slot.

"I don't know," Blake responded flatly, "Honestly I've never had a reason to visit the faculty offices – I get pretty good grades." Jaune shot her a sarcastic look of surprise, which she returned with a huff.

"Guess there's only one way to find out." Jaune uttered the old saying and twisted the knob, but stopped as he struggled to turn it.

"Let me see it." Blake pushed him out of the way and pulled out a small needle from her front pocket. She tinkered with the screws in the knob, and twisted the needle into an open slot that unlocked the door.

"How many rooms have you broken into?" Jaune asked out of curiosity.

"A lot." He made a quiet snicker, somehow not surprised by her knowledge of sneaking into locked rooms so easily. It was very cat-like.

The room was pitch black, only lit by the dim lights that hung on the walls. Jaune could make out the silhouettes of several items in the room, the light reflecting off several glass containers. He didn't feel comfortable being in an empty professor's office without their permission, and craned his neck back to give Blake an unsure glance. Blake shrugged, walking past him further into the room; Faunus could essentially see in the dark because of their eyes. Jaune however couldn't shake the sensation that someone was watching them.

"M-maybe we could ask Professor Goodwitch where she is."

"We could – or this is a chance to see what the mysterious professor is hiding." Blake replied with a veiled smirk. Jaune disagreed, but before he could voice his opinion, he felt a light pressure bear down on his right shoulder, the familiar grip of someone's fingers digging into his uniform.

"So I have intruders do I?" a mature feminine disembodied voice commented. The lights to the office flipped on, blinding Jaune for a second as his eyes winced, until the entire room came into view. He was amazed by how large it was.

Near the front of the door, were several polished black desks arranged in rows. On top, was an assortment of lab equipment and papers sprawled together in a pile; each table was populated with empty coffee mugs with cute illustrations of the Grimm on the sides. The back wall of the room was covered by large book shelfs that extended to the ceiling, stacked with hundreds of textbooks and various literature concerning the medical field. The flasks on the table were filled with a coalescent purple liquid that bubbled every few seconds. Cylindrical tubes next to the flasks were labeled in alphabetical order and filled with what looked like blood, only a darker shade then most animals.

In another corner of the office, was an aged wooden shelf that contained bowls of crushed plants used for medicinal purposes like those used in the ancient days before the Great War. For Jaune, it was a treasure trove of history that he could study for hours. Some of the techniques he observed in his book were put on display only a few feet from where he was standing. Jaune become lost in the spectacle, forgetting the tight grip on his shoulder that presumably belonged to Professor Peach. For some reason Blake was shaking, perhaps startled by the woman's sudden appearance if indicated by her pale face.

Peach let go, and when he turned around he was surprised by how beautiful his idol was. She had shoulder length curly pink hair that was spun into ringlets, while one lock slid across her face. Her bright piercing green eyes were hard to turn away from, and her thin cocky smile oozed an aura of confidence. Peach wore a short knee length plaid skirt, and a black tank top with a large white lab coat over it. He noticed a few freckles by her tiny nose, and her lipstick was a light red hue. Peach's figure was very thin yet muscular, and by her aura, Jaune could tell she was a force to reckon with.

"Are you... Professor Peach?" Jaune incredulously asked.

She gave an amused laugh. "Of course I am – but you kids need to leave now, you're not supposed to be here." She pointed to the door with a tired sigh, her face twisting in annoyance as a small grimace appeared.

"Please allow us to stay," Blake politely asked. "Jaune has wanted to meet you for a long time." Peach looked over at Blake in confusion, and directed her gaze onto him. She approached with a curious expression, her eyes looking him up and down until she smiled.

"Is that a medic uniform from the Vale Medical Preparatory School?" Jaune's face lit up, and he nodded in a vigorous motion.

"Interesting, but you still need to leave." She replied, a look of boredom in her expression. Jaune held up the gray book with a pleading look in his soft blue eyes, praying that the professor would lend him a minute to ask some questions. Her small mouth was agape, and she took hold of the book by its rough binding and examined it in silent amusement.

The way she flipped the book and caressed the cover was strange, her finger tracing the edges in broad strokes. Jaune would have been happy by her reaction, except he noticed a somber look in her eyes, the neutral expression gone from her narrowed gaze. Peach appeared trouble, as if he brought back some uncomfortable memory to the surface... she looked so sad. Peach opened the book up and set it on the desk closest to the door, where her computer sat in off mode. Blake looked over at Jaune in bewilderment, unsure of what Peach's reaction would be.

"Tell me boy," Peach began in a low mumble, "Where did you find this book?" Jaune gulped, stepping forward to sit down at the desk across from her.

"Back in my village, our library donated a lot of books to the people when making room for new additions, and my mother brought it home. This is embarrassing to say... but that book, it changed my entire life, and led me to become a field medic." Jaune gushed, a slight blush rising to his cheeks. He still couldn't look her directly in the eyes.

"I even know the quote: 'To protect those without means, serving the warriors of old when none dare to venture into darkness. We are their shield, and they the sword, for not even aura can heal all wounds.' It's stuck with me forever... I didn't have the best childhood." Jaune noticed the look of worry in Blake's eyes, and he averted his gaze back to the surface of the desk.

"Alright, you have my attention – Jaune is it?"

"Jaune Arc." He curtly replied, the eyebrow raise by Peach not going unnoticed. Not surprising, everyone knew of the Arc family.

"An Arc – how strange, I thought you were all skilled Hunters?" Jaune felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, the mention of his family painful to remember. How long had it been since he last heard from his mother and younger sisters?

"I... rather not talk about it."

Blake approached from behind and took a seat behind Jaune, catching his low whisper. "Professor Peach, excuse me for asking this, but why do you not teach us directly?" Jaune smiled, promising to thank Blake later for changing the subject.

"Simple," Peach chuckled, "I'm too busy with my experiments to teach you kids." Wait, was she just really lazy? The professor gave a low sigh and looked over at Jaune, eyes narrowing as if expecting some answer.

"You wanted to ask me something Jaune?" Jaune straightened in his chair, almost forgetting why he was even visiting the author of his favorite book.

"Y-yes... this is hard for me to explain – a friend of mine and I, we were sent out on a mission with different teams, and during our patrols-" Jaune paused, taking a deep breath as he pushed down the look of happiness on Tawny's corpse. "My friend, she died, and I came to a realization – are we all so useless on the battlefield, why aren't we trained to handle the Grimm? Blake and the others always brought this up, but I just ignored it until now." He clenched his fist under the table, a little surprised by his outburst.

Peach stood up from her desk, and walked over to a small stool with a kettle pot on top. "You had to ask the difficult questions – do any of you want some herbal tea?" Blake nodded, and he watched as the professor dropped a couple of bags, while sprinkling a few leaves inside the pot.

"Guess I can waste the next hour talking to you, but don't think you'll leave without a punishment – you did disobey my syllabus, Miss Belladonna." Blake let out a defeated sigh. Jaune would help with her assignment, whatever the punishment was. Although there's no telling with a woman like her.

"I'll accept the punishment, but leave Jaune out of it." Peach giggled, a mischievous smile forming on her lips.

"The best way to answer your question Mr. Arc, is to start from the beginning," Jaune found it odd that she was formal all of the sudden. "I use to be a student at Beacon – I was on team MPLE (Maple), and we were some of the best students in the academy. We came in second during our senior year in the tournament, though we never compared to team STRQ." He didn't recognize any of the names, of course he knew very little about Beacon's long and storied history. It was his dream to attend the academy, but he never really looked into past tournaments.

"It was about two years after we graduated, our team was sent on a huge mission to escort some politicians safely into Mistral from Vacuo. Everything was going smoothly, until an ambush by the Grimm surrounded us – one of our teammates, Evergreen, took on a Beringel to allow us time to escape. Crazy enough, he killed the damn bastard, but his wounds were fatal – I tried everything within my powers to save him, but he died." If Jaune remembered correctly, a Beringel was a large ape-like Grimm.

"Just like what happened to team JNPR..." Jaune responded in a hushed tone.

"Needless to say, it was pretty devastating for all of us... especially me – I kind of had a longtime crush on the guy. We all split up after that, mostly because of me. That was when I decided to attend medical school." Jaune noticed Peach's eyes light up, catching a glimpse of the renewed energy in her expression.

"I wanted to apply the practices onto the battlefield, so no one would have to die like Evergreen again. They called me a prodigy you know, not surprising since I graduated in only a year and half. That's when my studies formulated into something greater. I came up with a theory, one that would actually change Remnant's outlooks on the medical field: medics with combat capabilities that could apply their knowledge of medical science in battle." Jaune was a bit taken back, her theory much different then what was presented in class.

"Your book, it talked in length about this, but they never taught any of it at my school. It doesn't make any sense." Jaune explained, equally flabbergasted as Blake by the lack of training the medics were given.

"The world is not simple – my theory was presented to the medical community, and was accepted with open arms at first. Vale began to train a couple hundred students in my new practices, but I soon learned the archaic history of Remnant in general was steeped in dirty politics. All of Remnant considers aura to be absolute, a power given to Huntsman and Huntresses to battle the dark forces of the Grimm. It always puzzled me that in the many centuries we've battled them, that we never put something like I proposed into practice."

Peach grabbed the pot and poured two cups of tea into some of the empty mugs from the tables, and presented one of them to Blake.

"So, what happened?" Blake asked.

Peach brought the mug to her lips and tilted it, the tea sliding into her mouth. "As I said, politics – for a long time the Huntsman of Remnant have believed that _they_ , are the true guardians of the world. Many esteemed families actually still hold this belief, including the Arc family," Peach emphasized as she turned to look at Jaune. "Very soon, my teachings came into question, including the cost effectiveness of its future. The council believed that the years of resources it would take to train individuals separate from the institutions could be used to train more Hunters." Jaune was soon beginning to understand what Peach was implying.

"That's ridiculous," Blake spat, disgusted by the council's views. "How could any of that make sense? Do the lives of Hunters mean nothing to them?"

"Ridiculous isn't the word I would use – I consider it downright heartless," Peach hissed, a venomous aura emanating from her body. "Mysteriously several of my students and some of the teams they were assigned began to suffer losses. My practiced was called into question by the council, and they concluded that I was risking unnecessary lives... as a result, I was exiled from Vale, and my school was taken down." Jaune looked down in shame, a feeling of guilt present because his family was somehow involved in her downfall.

"That book you carry Jaune, it's very rare. The council had most of my texts burned. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for old Ozpin. He was willing to let me stay here and teach, though even he doesn't have enough influence to lift the ban on my medical teachings. I'm sure you've both had enough history classes to know that Vale's biggest ally is Atlas – their military relationship also had some say in why my studies were forbidden. Gotta put more money into the war machine right?" How could she be so cheery after telling him such an awful tale?

"Then how come medics are still enlisted in Vale?" Blake was right. The council banned her practices, so why allow any of the students to become medics?

"Despite what happened, Vale played it on the safe side, and ensured the communities that students could still enlist as field medics in the medical schools – don't get the training though, only the academics. The council doesn't care how many bodies pile up, as long as more Huntsman and Huntresses are being pumped out of the academies." He didn't know how to feel – betrayed by the very system he believed in.

"So they don't care if I live or die?" Jaune uttered out loud, seemingly talking to himself.

"Our world is cruel," Peach replied in a soothing voice. "If it wasn't for Ozpin and my husband, I might have just given up." Jaune broke out of his short-lived daze and looked to Blake.

"Did you say husband?" they both asked in unison. Peach giggled at their reactions and stood up with her arms folded, taking a proud stance as she grinned.

"Well of course, my lovely husband is part of the reason I've remained at Beacon! I forgot to tell you my real name – most people call me Peach, but my full name is Peach Oobleck." The world froze, and all Jaune could see was black and white. He was sure Blake almost fell out of her seat; the thought of Dr. Oobleck having a wife was mind blowing, including someone so beautiful - it had to be a dream!

"Y-you're married to Professor Oobleck!?" Blake sputtered.

"Why is that so hard to believe? He's so handsome and intelligent." Peach swooned, lifting her head up as she daydreamed. Jaune swore he saw little stars floating around her head like in the cartoons.

"Yang will never believe this..." Blake whispered.

"Professor," Jaune excitedly shouted, standing up from the desk. He extended his hand, until Peach took it, her firm grip surprising him. "I want to thank you, for telling me all of this, you really didn't have to – but now I know what I need to do." Blake looked over in awe, impressed by Jaune's determined expression.

"I don't know why I did – maybe it's your eyes, they remind me of when I was young." Peach teased.

"We should probably get going Blake, I bet everyone is looking for us about now." She nodded, and followed behind Jaune before glancing back at the mysterious professor.

"I don't get many visitors, come by whenever you want!" Peach slammed the door shut, and they both could hear the shuffle of papers and equipment from the other side of the door. She was certainly eccentric.

In a rare act, Blake placed her hand on his shoulder, her amber eyes looking deeply into his. "How are you doing Jaune? I know it was a lot to absorb – but you seem adamant about your next move." Jaune nodded, removing Blake's hand. The warmth from her pale hands took him by surprise.

"Thanks, but I am... right now, I'm useless in the battlefield," Jaune explained as he looked at his bare hands that lacked any true callouses. "I'll never let anyone die, and for that I need to train." Blake's eyes widened, but a smile tugged at her pursed lips.

"Glad to hear you won't give up, but remember, you're treading in dangerous waters." With the support of Blake, he would begin to train tomorrow, and start finding a suitable weapon to use against the Grimm. But before he did all that, he wanted to see everyone, and for just a moment, Jaune swore he saw the ghost of Tawny smile in the background.

"Still can't believe their married." Blake reiterated.

* * *

Today, Weiss would be finally able to leave the cramped infirmary that had been her prison. She was ready to abandon the strange odor of medical equipment and breathe some fresh air outside the academy. One of the nurses stopped by earlier to provide her with the crutches she would have to use for the remainder of the week until her aura finished healing up her fractured foot. While she was not entirely enthused to be hobbling across the halls of Beacon, it was better than remaining cooped up in the infirmary. Weiss wanted to see her friends, to resume classes as if everything was normal.

The crutches looked old, the crutch pad and grip looked worn, and the fabric tattered, while the adjustment area was duck taped together. Weiss adjusted the sheets of her bed to the side and dangled her legs over the bed, gently placing her good foot onto the tiled floor. She took hold of the grips with her tiny hands and hoisted the pad into her armpits, pushing herself up from the bed. It would take some getting used to, but it would suffice for getting around the campus. The door to her room creaked open, revealing a smiling nurse.

"Miss Schnee, you have a visitor today." A visitor?

"Tell them I'm leaving now, I don't wish to waste any more time in this room." She tried to be polite, but the nurse looked uneasy.

"I'm afraid, she was very insistent."

The clacking of heels filled her ears, and a tall figure clad in white pushed past the nurse. Weiss looked up in annoyance and froze. "W-Winter, what are you doing here!?" She almost lost her balance, falling back onto the bed as her light blue eyes widened in disbelief.

"I had heard that you were injured during a mission – it's good to see you are healthy Weiss." Her older sister sat on the edge of the bed, glancing down at her bandaged foot in veiled curiosity.

"I-I'll be fine," Weiss stuttered, "That still doesn't explain your appearance – are you not supposed to be on a mission in Atlas?" in their last correspondence, Winter mentioned that she would be away for some mission near the edges of the continent... yet here she was.

"Correct, but I was in Vale delivering a report to one of our commanders on vacation. When I checked in with Headmaster Ozpin to see how you were doing, he informed me of your accident during you're mission." She was glad to see Winter's confident expression, but it made her dread what her father would think of this debacle.

"Do not worry," Winter assured with a brief smile, "Our Father is unaware of your injury - so how did you come to fracture your foot?" Weiss was about to explain her version of the story, when the door opened again to reveal the last person she wanted to see in this moment.

Winter turned to see who had entered the room, and Weiss noticed her eyebrows rise in interest. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you Weiss." Jaune excitedly apologized before reaching back to the door.

"Please leave Jaune." Weiss practically ordered.

"Jaune...," Winter mused aloud, "Are you by chance Jaune Arc?" Weiss mentally slapped herself for her slip of the tongue. Jaune stood at the door, throwing a questioning stare in her older sister's direction. It was this type of chance meeting that Weiss wanted to avoid at all costs, and now it was too late. Jaune was such a fool.

* * *

 **Here are some quick notes on Peach and the characters mentioned in the discussion between Jaune and Peach, which I may elaborate on later.**

 **Team MPLE (Maple) members include the following:**

 **Maroon (guy)**

 **Peach**

 **Lavender (girl)**

 **Evergreen (guy)**


	8. Limits

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Eight: Limits

 **There's only a couple of chapters left for Blake's Mistake, and in hindsight, it's strange. The reception of this story has been incredible, and I want to take a moment to thank all of you for supporting me! I read every review believe or it not, and all of your follows are not unappreciated! Chapter two of Indecisive Soul is also up, and there'll be one more trial chapter until I decide if I will continue it. Let me know what you think in reviews for that story.**

 **I have put up a few more story ideas on my profile page that you can look over, so let me know in messages or even reviews how they stand. There is one in particular I'm really fond of writing involving Blake and Jaune, but I digress. Coming up with ideas of what sort of weapon this alternate universe Jaune should use has been interesting. Please read and review, their always loved like they were my own children!**

The natural reaction that Weiss should have displayed when Winter finally recognized who Jaune was, would be revulsion. Instead, Weiss remained calm, utilizing her patience to think her way out of the situation. The cold stare her elder sister directed at Jaune unnerved her, and any cheerfulness the two were sharing vanished. Winter stood from her chair and approached Jaune in an elegant stride, tilting her head in amusement as she looked him over like a fresh cadet in the military. The worried expression on Jaune's face was perpetuated by the sweat glistening off his neck. A slight hum exited her sister's mouth, and she turned to look at her for an explanation.

"You never told me an Arc was here." Winter flatly stated, her white brows furrowed. Weiss tensed up, mulling over a possible explanation.

"I don't go to Beacon Ma'am," Jaune intervened with a nervous stutter. "I'm a transfer student from the Vale Medical Preparatory School." Winter turned her direction back at Jaune, somehow impressed by his interruption. She folded her arms, strands of snow white hair falling behind her ears – Winter's lips curved into a smile.

"Interesting... Mr. Arc never spoke of his son – so why are you visiting Weiss?" Winter questioned him immediately, her smile replaced with an inquisitive frown. She watched as Jaune's eyes glanced in her direction, seeking an answer on how to respond to her overbearing sister.

Weiss opened her mouth to respond, but Jaune cut her off. "It was my fault that Weiss became injured... my inexperience resulted in her trying to protect me from an Ursa." She remained agape at his boldness to lie – what reason did he have to cover for her blatant miscalculation of her aura? Maybe she was protecting Jaune, but she should have been more aware of her surroundings. It was her fault she frivolously used her glyphs without accounting for the previous battle.

She didn't understand.

"A medical student in-training then? How interesting," Winter remarked. She turned back toward the bed, her heels clicking across the tile floor until she sat back down in the plastic chair. "Are you here to apologize?" Winter questioned, gracefully crossing her legs to make herself comfortable.

"Yes...," Jaune replied, averting his gaze back at the floor. Weiss released a tired sigh and looked at her sister, the judging look she was so familiar with plastered on her face. She made a fist underneath the linen sheets, her manicured nails digging into her pale skin.

"I accept your apology Jaune," Weiss blurted out, her sister's eyes narrowing at her sudden outburst. She kept her emotions in check, hoping that Winter wouldn't read past her brief façade – she was like an open book when they were alone. "However, I would like some privacy." He nodded, slightly bowing in Winter's direction as he made for the door.

"It was nice meeting you Jaune," Winter slyly called out. As the door shut, Weiss let out another sigh of relief, the previous tension now bereft in the room.

Weiss pulled on the hospital gown's collar, her neck clammy from the sweat. The brief exchange made her a wreck, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. Jaune successfully just made her life that much more complicated thanks to his little appearance. Once her Father learned of Jaune's presence at Beacon academy, her family affairs would become troublesome. How was she to explain all of this? Winter would think it uncouth of her to be rescued by a mere civilian. She apprehensively glanced at Winter who maintained her placid expression, her tiny chin cupped in her hands. There was no telling what she was thinking – maybe some form of punishment?

"So, the disowned son of the Arc family has become a medical student." Her sister mused aloud, gazing at Weiss with a mischievous grin.

She cleared her throat before speaking, "Trust me, I was surprised as you were." Weiss grumbled in annoyance, ready for Winter to berate her - She was used to the scolding her older sister employed throughout the years.

"You have no reason to fret dear sister," Winter answered with a stifled giggle. She rose from her seat and approached the left side of the infirmary bed, her light blue eyes softening as a bright smile formed on her lips. "I have no intention of letting our Father know about Jaune." A massive sensation of relief passed through her body

"Thank you... I don't know what might have happened if Father knew – just the mention of him associating with me could ruin my standing at the Schnee household." Yes, she was selfish in her line of thinking, and Weiss could see the disappointment evident in Winter's eyes.

"It was very admirable for Mr. Arc to cover for you." Her sister chuckled. Weiss propelled herself forward onto the bed, clutching the sheets tightly.

"So you knew!?"

"Of course I knew," Winter curtly replied, "Do I appear a fool? Weiss, I don't think less of you just because you were assisted on the battlefield. Medics have aided me countless times." She blushed at her poor attempt to trick her sister. Winter's light chuckle reverberated throughout the room, and she folded her arms with a huff. This was her punishment for letting Jaune take the blame.

"How is... _he_ doing?" Frost Schnee, CEO and board member of the Schnee Dust Company – and her father. Their correspondence ended last semester when she began classes, a retaliatory act of his for her not attending Mantle Academy. She actually enjoyed not writing monthly reports on her status, the act of tedious homework enough to occupy her time. Winter however, still kept in touch with the man.

"Father is doing fine, he asks about you all the time."

She found it hard to believe that he was genuinely worried about her – more likely asking if she was healthy and doing well in school. Weiss was his treasured heiress, the future of the Schnee Dust Company, and nothing more. How laughable was it that she couldn't even remember the last time he praised her? The paternal relationship was a sick joke, a masquerade of emotions that he only displayed in the public eye. Winter knew this, yet she continued to love him – Weiss never could, not for stealing her freedom.

"You can relay to him, that I am doing well, and at the top of my class..."

A calm sigh was released by Winter. "He loves you, Father... just has an issue of properly expressing it." Weiss heard the same excuse a thousand times. The stalwart of a man never showed an ounce of compassion, leaving the maids and tutors to nurture her. Winter insisted it was caused by their late Mother's untimely demise.

"How long will you be in Vale?"

"I have to leave in an hour – please get some rest for my sake... if not for our Father's. Winter corrected her posture and left the side of her bed, heading for the door. The rapier attached to her waist rattled with every careful step, and as she turned the door knob, she craned her neck to look back.

"I love you, Weiss."

The click of the door signaled Winter's departure, and already she felt a little solemn. Weiss was astonished that her Sister decided to keep quiet about Jaune, fully expecting her to report the entire ordeal to her Father. She relaxed back into the bed, glancing at the crutches she was about to practice with – working her body seemed a tedious chore. She sat up with a grunt and pulled the crutches over to her, forcing herself off the bed. She balanced on the tiles beneath the tips, and walked forward, the motion foreign compared to her usual confident stride. Her clothes were placed on a shelf in the corner of the room, deciding to practice her first steps there.

Her journey to the shelf was haphazard, cursing at every delayed footfall. When she reached the metal surface, she flung the clothes onto her shoulder and walked across the room to her bed. Weiss stripped herself of the sweaty gown, a smirk overtaking her expression as she slipped back into the bolero jacket and skirt. The simple act of changing made her comfortable again, an awareness of how much she missed being out in the halls of the academy – Weiss wanted to be assign homework, to meld back into the mundane act of school life. For one last time she looked at the plain white door, contemplating on how she would deal with Jaune Arc. Her Sister described him as admirable... perhaps he truly was, but that didn't change their circumstances. He was a friend she could never have.

* * *

 _What an awkward meeting_ , Jaune thought as he made his way through the halls to find Blake. His first agenda was to find Blake so they could meet with Ruby about constructing a weapon for him. The concept itself was beyond him, only having practiced with a simple sword and shield when forced to by his Father. The multitude of combinations a weapon was capable of alone, boggled his mind – look no further then Ruby's sniper rifle scythe, Crescent Rose. How a little girl handled such a weapon also mystified him. Her teacher must have been impressive. Jaune never even shot a gun before. He looked down at his puny hands, mostly clean from avoiding a life of hard labor and training. He was definitely envious of his friends.

RWBY's dorm room was the source of shouting and cheer, the door slamming open as Ruby flew out in a bundle of roses that fluttered to the ground. She massaged her head with a chuckle, and Yang revealed herself from the room with a cocky smile plastered on her beautiful features. Yang let out a maniacal laugh and pointed at Ruby, shaking with energy. "That's what you get for spilling milk on the game system!" His shoulders slumped at the proclamation, expecting something more detrimental from the sisters.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Ruby pleaded with puppy dog eyes, her eyelashes flapping. Jaune had to admit it was really adorable.

Yang let out a huff, flipping a lock of blonde hair in a show of disagreement. "Ruby, what I have told you about drinking milk so close to the system – this is like, the fourth time this has happened!" The exuberant smile on Ruby's childlike expression faded, replaced with an upturned frown as she lowered her head like a scolded pet.

"S-sorry Yang... it's my fault." Yang cooed at her apology, tackling the girl into a bearlike hug. Ruby complained as the brawler ruffled her black and reddish tresses – truly they were sisters, even if not related by blood.

"Am I... interrupting?" both sisters shot confused and embarrassed looks in his direction, Ruby detaching herself from Yang's grip with a blush. Jaune was fond of the affection Yang showed toward Ruby, always wishing in some world that he could be treated by his elder sisters in a similar manner.

"Nope," Ruby blurted, attempting to change the subject, "I'm glad to see you up and about Jaune, I was really worried about you." Jaune's gaze dropped, realizing how much torment he must have put the others through.

"I'm sorry about that Ruby, it won't happen again – I promise." Her silver irises lit up, embracing Jaune's waist. He could feel his uniform becoming soaked by the tears the little girl shed. What a jerk he was, causing Ruby to cry over his wellbeing.

"Is Blake here by chance?" Jaune peeked over Ruby's shoulder to glimpse inside their dorm, earning a raised brow from Yang. A playful smirk took hold of the blonde's lips, and her eyes narrowed at Jaune.

"Oh? You and Blake have been rendezvousing a lot lately," Yang teased, earning a mild red hue on Jaune's pale cheeks. He vigorously shook his head in denial, looking to Ruby for some chance of escape.

"Enough with your jokes Yang." Blake's monotone voice called from behind the corner. Jaune turned to see Blake with a disinterested expression, gliding across the hall towards Yang, her partner chuckling at his reaction. He let out a sigh of relief and glanced down at Ruby.

"Actually, I was looking for Ruby also." Her face perked in curiosity, pointing a finger at her chest, eyes blinking rapidly. "Why were you looking for me?" Jaune gulped, the weight of his recent decision bearing down on his shoulders... a change had to occur for innocent lives to be spared.

"Ruby," Jaune's voice croaked from anxiety, "I... I want to make a weapon to defend myself." He expected a surprise gasp, or a witty comment from Yang, but instead he was only met with an eerie silence.

"Uh oh," Yang whispered under her breath. Ruby's mouth remained agape, a wide smile forming on the little reaper. Her frail hands began to shake, eyes shimmering in excitement as her aura pooled together. Jaune swore the building was shaking from the pent up energy that Ruby was about to unleash on her unsuspecting friends.

A low squeak sounded from Ruby, and she puckered her lips. "Oh. My. Gosh...," she muttered, clapping her hands together. "I will definitely help you make a weapon Jaune – I have to find my notebook, there's so many designs in there, what type of weapon were you thinking, something long-ranged maybe!?" Ruby sputtered in an incomprehensible speed. Jaune swore he was missing something about this interaction, his face twisted in blatant confusion – he looked to Yang for an answer.

"Probably should have warned you when we met, but Ruby is a super nerd when it comes to weapons." Yang explained in a chuckle. That would explain her uncontrollable spasm of utterances about different combinations and Dust cartridges.

Blake approached the energetic girl and placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders, calming her instantly. "Slow down, Jaune's new to this sort of process." Ruby nodded, mumbling an apology to everyone.

"I also plan on training... but I'll need everyone's help," Jaune spoke up, surprised at his own resounding voice of certainty. Blake smiled, assuring him to continue. "If you're all willing, I could really use some advice." Yang slapped him on the back in response, a laugh echoing in the halls. She flashed a thumbs up and winked, all but confirming her involvement, while Ruby pumped her fist in the air.

"Before we create a weapon for you, I suggest we try a few different styles before settling on anything final. Any suggestions Jaune?" Blake was right about experimenting a little, his knowledge in combat was very restricted to what his Father presented to him at an early age.

The idea of what weapon would be comfortable in his palms never came to mind. While a traditional sword could work, he was eager to try something else. There were so many different types of weapons out there, a variety of manufacturers and blacksmiths in Vale and Remnant responsible for their creation. Going through all of them would take weeks, and he was short on time – who knew when another mission would be assigned? There was also the factor of when their tenure at Beacon ended... the teachers never disclosed how long the stay would be. As if sensing his trepidation, a sudden warmth emerged on his shoulder, turning to see Ruby with an enthusiastic smile.

"To be honest, I'm willing to try them all – I've never fired a gun before... a rifle makes me intrigued though. Does Beacon have any weapons in storage to use for practice in the arena?" Blake looked over at Ruby and Yang, her knowledge about Beacon's facilities limited.

"Absolutely," Ruby chirped, "They have all sorts of stand-ins for students to practice with. There's also a forge at Beacon that I've been to multiple times!" He found the prospects exciting, finally getting a chance to make a difference against the Grimm besides his medical knowledge.

"Jaune...," a reluctant feminine voiced called out. They all looked down the hall to see team PNRN approaching, a look of joy on their faces that was lacking the past week. Pyrrha Nikos appeared livelier, her face vacant of any tears.

"Oh, Pyrrha, how are you feeling?" according to what everyone said, she experienced a state of misery equal to his, blaming herself for the death of Tawny. He brushed past Ruby's small frame and looked into Pyrrha's eyes, noticing the slight dark shade under her lids.

"Much better, but Jaune I need to-" He gripped Pyrrha's surprisingly toned shoulder, flashing a reassured smile that she didn't need to finish her apology. No, he wouldn't let her even attempt to say those two words – none of this was any of their faults.

"You don't have to apologize, Pyrrha," Jaune quickly stated, peeking over her shoulder to look at the rest of her team. "None of you have to – what happened to Tawny... the only ones to blame are the Grimm." Pyrrha sported a look of confusion, a lone tear sliding down her tinted cheeks.

"Then lets kiss and make-up!" Nora suggested to the chagrin of everyone. Jaune couldn't contain his chuckle, everyone joining in a brief laugh. This was what he wanted... for everything to be normal, to have a family that he could rely on. Jaune let go of Pyrrha and turned back around to face Ruby.

"Let's not waste any time," Jaune said, "We can invite Pyrrha and the others to the arena – maybe they will have some tips to help me?" Having a four time champion like Pyrrha Nikos would definitely be worthwhile.

"Why are you heading to the arena?" Nebula asked, one eyebrow raised as a spark of curiosity rushed across her face. He didn't know much about the other three members of team PNRN, only that Ren and Nora were close friends, and that Nebula was really girly. The others liked to tease her about Cardin Winchester, though he yet to meet the boy.

"Jaune wants us to train him, and Ruby's gonna help him make a weapon." Yang commented with a smirk. Nebula remarked with an excited gasp, while Nora sounded off on the millions of weapons that Jaune could try out.

"We would love to help," Pyrrha added, "I'm sure Nebula and I can train you in basic combat and footwork. Have you ever fought before?" Jaune wanted to answer, but he shook his head, not wanting to relive the memories of his Father brutally knocking him into mud with fresh bruises.

"Eh, I'm sure some of my techniques could aid you," Nebula cunningly said, shooting a quick wink in his direction. Nebula was mysterious to him, but she was quite beautiful – not in the same enigmatic way that Blake was, or the pristine visage of Weiss Schnee.

Any thoughts of sadness or regret was now gone from Jaune, the laughter and smiles of his friends warming his heart to the brim. Tawny's face was still clearly visible in the distance, as if her ghost was watching the aftermath – but she wasn't in agony like he originally imagined, a peaceful aura surrounding her. Amid the discussions on how to improve his stamina and coordination, Jaune took Weiss' absence into observation, disappointed that the heiress could not join them in the revelry. He used to be jealous of the attention that his elder Sisters received, but if he had to experience a life of solitude, then he was glad that his Father kicked him to the curb.

Blake noticed his far off daze, surprising him that she noticed. With everyone occupied in the group, she displayed a rare smile – Jaune blushed, wishing he could always glimpse at such beauty. Fantasies would get him nowhere, and he needed to focus on the training ahead, coming up with a possible list of weapons he wanted to try. A spear came to mind, but he was mostly interested in fiddling around with different types of swords.

He had a long day ahead of him.

* * *

Ozpin was having a rough week. An assortment of problems that ranged from having to sort out papers and deal with the families of the decease, to arguing with the Vale council about the recent deaths, and his inability to prevent them. But none of that prepared him for the call he received from Jaune Arc's father – Ares Arc, the current head of the Arc family and one of the strongest Huntsman in Remnant. He spoke with the warrior several times throughout the year, discussing potential candidates for Beacon he recommended, or about the future enrollment of his younger daughters. Today however, the stoic individual inquired about Jaune, the disowned son of the Arc family. Ozpin was privy to the agony Jaune went through, often hearing tales from Glynda that his Mother relayed.

Ares appearance changed over the years, the young characteristics replaced by sharper contour edges. Short messy dark blonde hair was swept to the right, in contrast to his light blue eyes that were usually held by much kinder individuals. A noticeable jagged scar on his nose took away from the wrinkles around his cheeks, and to most he appeared as a composed gentleman - but Ozpin knew his true nature. Ares was man blinded by his pride in the Arc lineage, relying only on brute strength to make his points valid. Sure he would use diplomacy when necessary, but Ares Arc was known to get his way, thanks in part to his many connections with noble families such as the Schnee.

So why did Mr. Arc care about his son that he threw away like some unwanted trash? "How long has it been Mr. Arc... over a year now?" he took a sip of his coffee, treasuring the rich flavor of brewed chocolate and nuts.

"That would be a correct assumption – so let me ask again, what is my son doing at Beacon academy?" Ares responded in a gruff tone. The question was baseless of course, Ozpin knew he just wanted confirmation.

"I'm sure you didn't have to call me for such information," Ozpin wryly remarked, setting down his mug onto the desk. He glanced at Glynda who had her arms folded with an irate expression, her vehemence for Ares widely known. "Why the sudden curiosity about your son?"

A grunt escaped from Ares cracked lips, eyes narrowing at Ozpin's joking manner. "I've known that my son has been playing doctor in Vale – but now I hear he's part of the team of medics assigned to the academy. How is he finding the life of a profession he can never become?" Glynda stepped forward before Ozpin could respond, a menacing glare planted on her face.

"Such concern now," Glynda lost control of her emotions, showing a rare form of anger many had not seen. "You discard Jaune like some old toy, yet you call us to feign distress? Mr. Arc is doing quite well for himself!" Ares perturbed expression twisted in arrogance, puzzled by her defiance.

"And why do you care so much, Goodwitch?" Ares drawled, his intense stare focused on the professor - Ozpin found Glynda's unbreakable resolve applauding.

"Because I am his legal guardian now." The usually unruffled man winced at the statement, a grumble sounding on the screen above Ozpin's desk.

Jaune Arc, was now under the care of Professor Glynda Goodwitch, officially as of last week. When Jaune was disowned by his family and entered the Vale Medical Preparatory school, his Mother had immediately contacted Glynda, one of her closest friends – She begged for the woman to adopt Jaune and become his legal guardian. Glynda was hesitant at first, unsure of the implications that could result of such a responsible, but soon Ozpin saw her judgment sway. He was sure the final nail in the coffin was the death of his teammate during their patrol mission... Glynda informed him the next day that she was up to the task, willing to assist Jaune in whatever way possible.

A low chuckle erupted from Ares, turning his attention back at Ozpin. "How comical... you can have him – raise him to be the second-rate man that he's meant to become." Glynda let out a snarl, turning her back on Jaune's father and exiting Ozpin's personal office.

"You always had a way of upsetting others." Ozpin commented.

"I do not care about the opinions of the common masses." Not a surprising answer from the privileged man. Ares used to be much kinder and reasonable, but the fame changed him, molding him into an uncaring shadow of himself. Ozpin could no longer call Ares Arc a friend.

"So Mr. Arc," Ozpin casually said, hoping to change the subject, "Why did you really call me? I know you didn't waste your time just to talk about your son." Regardless of his opinion, Ares only called him when an important matter needed discussion. Despite his crass nature, he was an intelligent man, showing brilliant tactics on the battlefield.

"Local scouts have spotted Grimm amassing near the borders of Vale and Mistral – requests for reinforcements and military personnel have already been called. We don't know when the incursion might occur, perhaps weeks or even months, but General Ironwood wanted me to inform you." The news was more dreadful then he originally imagined... yet why would the Grimm coordinate such an attack? They never worked in tandem with such pre-planned actions.

"Are they mostly low-class Grimm?" Hundreds of Beowulfs and assorted Grimm wouldn't be much of an issue for most professional Huntsman and Huntresses. Death Stalkers and Goliaths were more of a problem, especially when considering their age. His students weren't ready for such carnage.

"I'm afraid Goliaths and Beringels have been spotted among the herds. Scientists and military leaders are trying to figure out the cause as we speak... I don't think I need to tell you how serious this is." Ozpin lifted his mug and titled it back, the warm coffee relaxing his nerves. Were _they,_ behind this little operation?

"Thank you for informing me of this development, Mr. Arc, I'll advise my allies of the situation." Ares nodded, cutting off the screen without a proper goodbye. The news he presented however was grave... such an army of Grimm had not been seen for many years, especially in two kingdoms at once. He would have to cut off Qrow's investigation early and have him return to Beacon immediately. Ozpin's only hope was that his students would not have to be involved – they were far too young to be thrust into a battle they were not prepared for.

The headmaster glanced over at the table in the corner of his office, the scent of freshly brewed coffee alluring him. The upcoming days and the threat of the Vytal festival being canceled only further drove his addition to the nectar. Jaune would be informed soon about Glynda's status as his new caretaker – hopefully the boy would take the news as something positive given his past week. Ozpin typed at his keyboard and brought up a screen that monitored life signs of a subject kept deep within the vault of Beacon Academy.

"Your slumber will end soon... Amber."

* * *

Another thud on the mats of the training arena echoed throughout the stadium-like room. Blake took account of Jaune's improper footwork during his brief spar with Nebula, his swings with the wooden sword erratic and clumsy. There was a lot of work that needed to be done... but she was willing to help, confident that he could improve. Ruby cheered from the sidelines as Jaune tried against Pyrrha, the champion offering him advice on how to grip the hilt of a sword. She glanced over at the rack close to the doors, numerous weapons from different kingdoms on display for students to practice with. Blake even spotted a decorated ball and chain.

A particular weapon finally caught her eye, leaning on the edge of the rack, its blade reflecting off the overhead lights. While the edge was dull for safety reasons, its curvature was obvious enough. The katana, as it was known in Mistralian lands; forged by ancient warriors hundreds of years ago to fight off the Grimm. Katanas, were known for their durability and precision, becoming one of the most lethal blades if used by a properly trained Huntsman. She was quite familiar with the weapon... Adam used one. Blake walked over to the rack and picked it up, gauging the weight of the handle.

"Jaune," she called out, gaining his attention from the ground. "I want you to try this." Blake threw the katana at Jaune, who clumsily dropped his shield in the process – he examined it like a child receiving a new toy.

"What's this?" he questioned, twisting the hilt with a flick of his wrist, a questioning look on his face. Blake was about to answer until she saw Jaune reach for the wooden shield on the arena floor.

"You won't need that shield – it's a katana, a single-edged blade that was made common by eastern islanders. Notice the long handle?" Jaune looked down, gripping the leaner grooved handle with both hands.

"Are you sure I can use this?" Jaune asked with a hint of uncertainty in his wide blue eyes. Of course she wasn't sure, but Blake thought it would be easier to eliminate the different types of swords before moving on to another weapon. Ruby and the others looked on in anticipation, eager to see the blond boy make his attempt.

"Pyrrha, can you come up here?" The redheaded warrior stood up from the stands and nodded, an excited smile complimenting her innocent expression. She was glad to see Pyrrha full of energy again, her bright green eyes shimmering with renewed vigor – she must have been eager to fight again after being absent for days from the arena.

"Jaune, I'm going to have you practice deflecting a few swings from Pyrrha." He looked to understand, acknowledging her comment with a slow motion. She could notice the sweat on his forehead, his pale complexion hued with a bright shade of red from exhaustion. Blake was a little perplexed by Jaune's current state, the bruise on his right arm from being knocked to the ground more visible.

Then she realized... Jaune had never unlocked his aura. That would be something to bring up later when the others weren't around.

"Okay Jaune," Pyrrha started in a teaching-like tone, "I'll start with a basic thrust and overhead strike – look for my hand movements to predict which attack I'll be using." She was a natural, not that surprising coming from such an experienced fighter however.

"Go Pyrrha, break all of his bones!" Nora shouted.

"That would be far too violent for a friendly spar," Ren replied in his calm voice, leaning back into the seat near the front of the arena.

"Oh, that's right, well... go Jaune and Pyrrha, only mildly hurt each other!" a sigh left the composed boy, and he focused on the forthcoming spar. Blake would describe it more as a tutorial on basic defensive stances – Jaune wasn't capable of handling Pyrrha for more than two or three minutes at most. The Grimm wouldn't show the same mercy.

Pyrrha took a step back and spread her legs, bending her knees to lean forward. She held out her shield, raising Milo above her head. Jaune stood there with a wide-eyed gaze, the katana lowered toward the middle of his chest – he was still nervous, his posture lacking. Pyrrha thrust her spear at Jaune with the speed of a bullet, but to her surprise Jaune swung the blade to the right, deflecting her attack. With a smile, she riposted and brought down Milo in another successive blow, only to see Jaune stop the attempted strike, the dull blade vibrating as he tried to hold her back.

An echo rang out into the arena as Pyrrha broke away from Jaune, giggling in surprise. "Jaune, that was..."

"Excellent," Blake finished, closing her mouth, "I thought you told us that you never received any training before?" the reflexes he displayed were quick and precise, and the strength behind it was no joke.

"Uh, I haven't, I just did as you told me." Jaune humbly answered with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. She was impressed, he showed great potential, though he still required a lot of training.

"How does the blade feel?"

Jaune took a second to look at the sword. "I like it... somehow it feels natural in my hand, like an extension of myself." They would still need to try some other weapons, but they might have gotten lucky and found Jaune's weapon of choice. Still, Blake wished it could have been something else, the katana too much of a reminder of her old lover.

"So this is where you guys are?" Sun announced from the corner of the arena, Neptune following from behind with a suave grin. Sun's face brightened up when he caught her eyes, his tail waving behind him.

"What are you guys up to – how's Weiss doing, I haven't seen her since yesterday." Neptune asked, dropping his act of confidence that he exuded when the heiress was around. Blake's comprehension for Weiss' attraction to the blue-haired Mistralian was beyond her, though she could admit, he seemed like an okay person. Who was she judge?

"Oh, just helping train Jaune, what about you guys?" Yang asked.

"You know us, prowling the school, making trouble – we actually looked for you guys today, but nobody knew where you were." Sun approached her from the side, waving with an enthusiastic smile, pristine teeth showing to compliment his handsome features.

"Weiss is supposed to be released today, but right now we're just helping Jaune – he and I visited a teacher earlier." Blake answered, earning a look of confusion on Sun's face as he darted his eyes onto the fellow blonde.

"Oh, that's cool I guess..."

A clacking of heels on the arena floor alerted Blake to another guest. She turned to see Professor Goodwitch entering the room with a bemused expression, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose. The professor must have heard of their visit to Professor Peach – she would prefer not to have another load of homework thrust upon her. The silence in the arena built up enough tension for a knife to cut through, and the regal professor directed her attention onto Jaune. The fierce stare she usually carried to intimidate the students was gone, replaced by a look of concern on her feminine features.

"I see that you're all busy." No one answered, afraid to be admonished.

"We're helping Jaune train!" Ruby piped up, a hint of surprise in Glynda's demure expression.

"May I borrow Jaune for a few minutes?" he nodded, dropping the katana onto the matted floor. Blake wanted to follow, but she could tell by Goodwitch's tone that it was a serious private matter.

"I'll be right back guys, so prepare another lesson for me." She watched as Jaune followed Goodwitch out of the arena, her curiosity getting the better of her – why did the professor look so worried?

Hopefully nothing terrible, they all had enough stress.

* * *

The monotony of walking through the halls with the crutches took a toll on Weiss' psyche. Her patience was beginning to wear thin – she would have much preferred using a wheelchair if walking was to become an hour long process. At least she knew where to go – Yang sent her a message on her scroll that they were all in the arena, though she was mute on any more details. Weiss recognized the steps leading down to the main floor, releasing a sigh as she imagined using the crutches on a set of stairs. She would have a personal wheelchair by the end of the day.

At least she would be able to walk again in less than week, so the turmoil of being gimp was only temporary. Weiss arrived at the stairs and grabbed hold of the railing, tossing the crutches onto the bottom steps. She slid down the rail and gently placed her good foot down, careful not to apply too much pressure to the bandaged one.

"Over here Jaune," the voice of Professor Goodwitch said, catching her immediate attention. She hobbled across the hall and leaned against the wall.

 _What was she doing... how improper was it_ _to eavesdrop?_

Before announcing herself so that she could walk into the arena without hearing anything important, Weiss hesitated, a part of her wanting to hear the conversation. In hindsight, it made her feel dreadful, stooping to the act of invading another person's privacy to feed her curiosity. But... she wanted to know more about Jaune's current standing in the Arc family, especially when Winter did not seem all that concerned of them mingling.

"I apologize for stealing you from your friends." Glynda voiced, her authoritative tone missing. The professor was acting strange, almost coddling Jaune... he looked equally confused as Weiss did.

"It's alright... is something wrong Professor Goodwitch?" The blonde woman released a sigh, pulling out a document from her back pocket. She handed it over to Jaune who examined it in confusion, leveling the crease down the middle.

"I don't know how to categorize this news Jaune, but as of last Monday, I am now your legal guardian. Your official name is now Jaune Goodwitch – however I won't announce this in class, and will continue using the moniker Arc to avoid any embarrassment or unwanted questions." Weiss caught her gasp, almost reacting to the news. She watched as Jaune stood there, not flinching at all from the announcement.

"So he finally did it huh..." Jaune snorted in disbelief.

"I'm sorry Jaune," Glynda placed a reaffirming hand on his slumped shoulders. "You're Mother asked me to do this... she wanted you to be happy." He chuckled, wiping his right eye of a few visible tears.

That was the fate of being disowned? Weiss shuddered at the thought of her Father disposing of her like trash. Without the Schnee name... Weiss would remain a sad little girl weighed down by her loneliness. She looked upon Jaune in sorrow, the need to comfort him surfacing from some unknown instinct – she was the only one who knew what he was going through. Yet she couldn't, her cowardice of suffering the same fate as him driving her to remain hidden.

She was pathetic.


	9. Ignition

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Nine: Ignition

 **Time for more Medic Jaune! By the way I'm looking for cover art for several of my stories, so if anyone knows anybody or something like that, please let me know. The second chapter of The Victim is out now, so please go see my new Blake and Jaune story alright? I know some of you are worried about Jaune's weapon being a katana, but I never said it was did I? This chapter will reveal what he finally settles upon in the story, including what is ahead for team RWBY.**

 **Further in this story, a new character from the canon is going to be introduced that not everyone may be familiar with, but I'll acknowledge it when the time passes. Volume 4 is amazing already, and I'm sure tons of ideas will be flooded into my head by the shows end. Let's hope I can finish another story by summer right!? Please enjoy this and review if you can! My goal is to get 200 reviews before or at chapter ten if possible – of course it's not about the reviews.**

The Katana in Jaune's hands clattered onto the arena floor under the weight of Blake's weapon. The ribbon from Gambol Shroud hovered over his exhausted face, the sweat from his brow sliding onto the mats. Jaune clambered back onto his feet and patted the dust from his shirt and pants, an expression of disappointment held by his face. Right when he thought they found the perfect weapon for him to use, Blake floored him in multiple attempts, the blunt sword never even coming close to touching a strand of hair on the Faunus. She assured him it was just lack of formal training, and that there was still plenty of other weapons to try before the end of the day.

But was that why he wasn't putting in a full effort? Professor Goodwitch's news... he wanted to say he always expected it, to be abandoned by his family. Yet he always held onto some hopeless shred of light that one day they would accept him, perhaps even be proud. The thought was so pathetic that his throat became dry, and he felt himself holding back a whimper – using all of his strength to endure and not collapse into a blubbering mess. Blake and the others were so overjoyed that everything was back to normal after Tawny's death. What he needed was a break, a chance to get some fresh air and think. Professor Goodwitch said that preparations for his stay at her apartment during the summer break were already underway.

He cleared his throat and placed the katana back onto the weapons rack, turning back to face the others with a smile that was forced. "I need a break for the rest of the day guys, I'm tired." Blake seemed confused, her narrowed eyes studying every subtle movement.

"That's fine Jaune," Pyrrha said, "We can move on tomorrow to a different type of weapon – maybe some of the others could also spar with you." Ruby hopped off the stage and walked up next to Pyrrha, Crescent Rose unfolded into its scythe form.

"How about me Jaune," Ruby begged, her eyes sparkling. There was no way anyone in the world could turn away such childlike innocence.

"S-sure, sounds like fun." He responded.

He ignored Blake's worried stare and headed for the exit, controlling his unbridled anger toward the man who abandoned him like a worn-out tool. Jaune kicked aside the bathroom door and saddled up next to the sinks, running the cool water so he could flush his eyes. The water was refreshing against his clammy skin and he settled down, the anxiety he built up during his spar receding. He didn't want anyone to see the miserable state he was in, especially Blake who he was quickly growing fond of. Jaune looked into the mirror, his blue orbs staring back at him – a constant reminder of his family lineage. His Mother said they were inherited in all the men.

Jaune Goodwitch... it sounded weird, lacking the same ring his original last name held. To everyone else, he would continue being called Arc, a lie told to avoid further embarrassment for him and Professor Goodwitch. He chuckled, the thought of passing as the stern teacher's son was not entirely possible going off the blonde hair. Yet how long would he continue to keep it a secret from everyone? Jaune found it hard to believe that Ruby and the others would judge him for his past – yet he continued to play along and avoid the discussion. He was a hypocrite, plain and simple.

Jaune exited the bathroom and checked the hall to see if anyone stayed behind. He released a belated sigh and continued down the corridor, deciding to catch an early dinner in the cafeteria. He rounded the corner and was startled to see Weiss leaning against the wall, her tiny figure bolstered by a rugged crutch from the infirmary. Weiss' elegant face was twisted by a grimace, her brow furrowed in his direction as she hobbled over with constrained grunts. She probably wanted to discuss his brief meeting with her older sister Winter – going off their meeting, she practiced a higher level of tolerance.

"I'm glad I caught you Jaune." She said in-between pants. Jaune walked over to assist, but Weiss swatted his hand away, huffing in annoyance.

"Are you sure you don't need help, you don't have to be stubborn you know?" he griped, not in the mood for Weiss' attitude.

Her eyes widened in surprise at his defiance, but she dropped the unpleasant frown. "Sorry... I didn't come to pick a fight with you. Jaune I came to apologize." What did she say? Jaune pinched his cheek, the sharp pain an indicator that he wasn't dreaming what Weiss just said.

"I...," Weiss paused, "I overheard your conversation with Professor Goodwitch earlier." Jaune clenched his fist and subverted his gaze. So she heard everything – not that it mattered, the Schnee family would have been informed in some announcement at one of their future parties.

"What of it? You no longer have to worry about crossing paths with me, I'm no longer an Arc." He bit his lip, the words itself painful to utter.

"I don't care about that anymore," Weiss blurted, leveling her eyes at the floor, her pristine white hair flowing over her face. Jaune was a little overwhelmed by her rapid switch, confused why only now she would apologize. But did she really need to? He never blamed Weiss for avoiding him, understanding that her Father control all aspects of her life.

"My Father once told me, that by picking up the sword I'm holding up the entire Arc legacy on my shoulders. When I couldn't keep a firm grip on Crocea Mors, he would slap my hands with a switch." Jaune chuckled while telling the story, a pathetic smile on his face.

"How often did he hit you?" Weiss softly asked.

Jaune rolled up one of his sleeves on his uniform, revealing a few noticeable scars that traced down his forearm. "Anytime I made a mistake. Mom would cry every night while gauzing the fresh cuts." He rolled the cuff down and laughed, avoiding the empathetic gaze from Weiss.

"Our Father," Weiss stammered, "He never had to hit me – the look he gave me whenever I failed... it was enough alone to break my heart." They were so similar, yet their own stubbornness kept them apart. Weiss held the same look he carried over the years when speaking of his family, her light blue eyes empty of any spirit.

"We're not very different," Jaune said, "Except now, I'm Jaune Goodwitch, son of Glynda Goodwitch. So little has happened in the weeks I've been here." He commented, shoulders drooping as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are you ever going to tell the others?" Jaune ruffled his blonde tresses and sighed, the thought crossing his mind several times.

"No – at least not now, we've dealt with too much this past week. I don't need to drop another bombshell on them. This is my business to sort, no one else's." he couldn't drag everyone into another mess.

"Then let me assist you in your training!" Weiss urged, almost stumbling onto the ground. Jaune caught her shoulders, amazed by how light she was.

"Don't push yourself." She humph.

"There's not much you can do right now," Jaune remarked, "The best you could do is offer some advice on what weapon could I use." She placed a finger on her chin and looked up at the ceiling in thought.

The katana initially seemed like a good fit, but now that he mulled over it, using the single-edged blade brought disadvantages to his position on the battlefield. He needed something quick and precise, a weapon that would allow him defense and opportunity to retreat when necessary. A spear was the first thing that popped into mind, but they were usually longer and difficult to wield for a beginner. A knowledge in proficiency in weapons combat would help splendidly, but only if Weiss knew what to work with. She never even saw him spar, only having a glimpse of his attempts back in the Forever Fall.

"And what is Blake having you work with at the moment?" Weiss inquired.

"Different types of swords, but right now a katana."

"Are you serious?" Weiss mocked the notion, the idea of him using a katana was nonsensical. He didn't think it was that funny personally.

"Sorry, it's just that someone of your caliber shouldn't be studying with a blade meant for skilled individuals. There's no point if you don't have the basic techniques down on wielding a sword." Weiss spun on her heels, using the crutch to not fall over, and headed down the hall.

"Um, where are you going?"

"To find the others, I think I might have a solution to your issue." Was it that simple all this time? They were practically strangers yesterday, and now Weiss was doing everything in her power to aid him.

Weiss faltered down the corridor, uttering mumbled curses that were barely above a whisper. Jaune found himself grinning at the spectacle. From behind, she appeared so small and delicate, like that of an ornamental doll. Her beauty was distinct from Blake's, whereas his Faunus companion could be characterized by her subtle grace and lustrous black locks, Weiss was more angelic in her presence. Weiss' soft cheekbones and easygoing blue eyes were flattering to her overall appearance, which was contrasted by her sharp personality. He would never tell her all of this of course, not if he valued his life.

She was another girl far within in his reach, a beauty that could not be marveled at. They were once considered to be wed early in his life, but circumstance determined that he was not respectable of that fortune. He began to follow and chuckled, the idea of them being wed humorous, not when she couldn't stand his weak-hearted attempts. Maybe one day he would find a girl, someone like Tawny that appreciated his goals. Someone like his mother that loved him for who he was, and not what he was destined to be. Dreams were funny like that.

* * *

Glynda leaned against the elevator wall, and tapped her foot on the floor as a way to pass the minutes. Recently any free time she had was cut short by the amount of legal papers she was required to sign. Transferring Jaune's custody was much more difficult then she imagined – and then there was the matter of moving all of Jaune's belongings to her apartment. She never expected to become a mother like this, since technically speaking Jaune was her son now. Once upon a time, she and James were in a committed relationship, and she even thought there was a chance they would get married. But career came first to the general, the protection of Atlas more important.

Once summer began, Jaune would be staying with her. While that was a couple of months away, she wanted to be prepared – teaching and actually raising a seventeen-year-old boy were two completely different things. Worst part... she didn't even know how to properly cook a meal, having always relied on restaurants and guests to assist. She pushed up her glasses on the ridge of her nose and let out a tired sigh. She needed to focus on her meeting with the other professors and Ozpin. He arranged an emergency meeting out of the blue, which was not that surprising given the news Ares Arc delivered.

She needed a vacation.

The elevator doors parted to reveal most of the faculty present for the meeting, save for the eccentric Professor Peach. How Dr. Oobleck was married to that woman, she would never know, but they were perfect for each other. She trekked across Ozpin's personal quarters, her heels clicking against the glass floor that masked the grinding sounds of the gears in view. Ozpin was absorbed at his desk, lifting a coffee mug to his lips to partake in another one of his caffeine beverages. The scent of beans and chocolate always followed the man in all the years she knew him. He carried an uncertain gaze in his simple brown eyes.

"How are things coming along with Jaune?" he asked with a chortle.

"About as good as they can be I suppose." Ozpin set the file he was holding down and stood from the desk, a hardened expression on his face.

"I apologize for the wait everyone," Ozpin said, "But the news I'm about to deliver is grave. General Ironwood sent word that Grimm forces are starting to move in an organized fashion to various spots around Remnant." They remained silent as he took another sip from his mug.

"While most of this is manageable thanks to our military and Hunters, I've been informed that a herd is near Beacon grounds. Security will be increased around the campus and second and third year students will be doing nightly patrols." Contrary to belief, she respected Ozpin, and trusted her life with him, but why would he call them for something so trivial?

"Sounds like fun to me!" Professor Port gloated, pounding his chest with a tightened fist. He always liked to surmount even the toughest challenge.

"However a village not too far from here is requesting help, and I'll be picking a team to address the notice. In the meantime I would like all of you to keep an eye out and report any suspicious Grimm behavior." The professors nodded and headed for the elevator. The uneasy look on Ozpin's face told more then he elaborated on in their meeting.

"What are you not telling Ozpin?" Glynda questioned.

"The nature of the team I'm picking... you might disagree with my choice. Team RWBY with Jaune Arc will be sent to the village of Mariani for reconnaissance and patrol." Glynda dropped her steadied expression.

"You can't," she snapped, "They're only freshman, and there's no way of knowing what sort of Grimm are congregating near the village!" She had no doubts about RWBY's skill, being one of the strongest first year teams next to PNRN - but they weren't ready to handle an assignment of that level.

"This was never my intention – yet put your mind at ease, as I will be assigning two professors to escort RWBY during their mission." She released the edges of the desk and sighed, more assuaged that two professional Hunters would be accompanying the children.

"And who did you pick?"

Ozpin shifted in his chair and smiled in her direction. He couldn't mean? "Why you of course, along with Professor Peach." She had the urge to punch Ozpin in the face, but that would be unbecoming of someone in her position. Instead she shot an intense glare.

"Impossible, my duties-"

"Will be taken care of," Ozpin answered. "Assistant Violet will take over until you have returned. I trust in you Glynda." She relented, accepting the task with an astute nod. But with Professor Peach of all people?

"How will Professor Peach facilitate any assistance on this mission? She's never left her office in all the years she's been here." Her meetings with Peach were usually brief, the woman mesmerized by one of her experiments.

"Listen to Oz and be more trusting Glynda," Peach sang, walking out of the elevator with a confident stride. This was highly unusual even for her.

"I see you're up and about." she commented brusquely.

"Well you know what they say, 'don't be a stick in the mud', am I right?" Peach let out a fluttery giggle.

Things could be much worse if she thought about. While she disagreed with Ozpin about sending team RWBY, most of the second and third years would be tied up with patrolling the Emerald forest. Now that Jaune would be following them, it was her duty to ensure his safety. He was her responsibility, and she wouldn't have him leaving the village in a body bag like the recently departed students. She looked out the window of Ozpin's quarters to look at the cliffs down below, the sight of the initiation at the beginning of school. The test was nothing compared to what they were about to face.

* * *

Blake felt helpless after watching Jaune rush out of the arena. Was it something she done during their training, or was he still mourning the death of his friend? The others didn't seem to notice, heading for the cafeteria with reinforced smiles on their faces. She knew Jaune's sudden change in attitude came after his conversation with Professor Goodwitch in the hall. The grip on Jaune's blade loosened, and she could spot a handful of openings in his guard. But what could have upset him so much? Professor Goodwitch would not have purposefully put Jaune in that state, unless it was something she said.

She placed her fork onto the table and pushed the half eaten dish from her eyes. Blake's appetite was lacking amid her confusion. The presence of Sun and Neptune enlivened the table discussion as Nora went over one of her many ridiculous adventures to the unsuspecting boys. Sun's presence was... a little welcoming, but also bothersome – especially when she knew the boy was crushing on her. The hints were loud and clear and she tried her best to avoid the issue. Yang was the only constant reminder of Sun's gradual advances. She at first welcomed the attention, but since Jaune's arrival her focus altered.

Nora slammed the table with a resounding roar – yes a roar, which startled her. She looked over to see Jaune entering the cafeteria with a surprise visitor in the form of Weiss Schnee. The heiress was having difficulty making her way to the table, but Jaune assisted her. Weiss listed off a number of complaints and tiny insults his way, but he maintained a genuine smirk on his handsome features. Blake was glad that Weiss recovered so quickly, and by tomorrow or the next day she would be back to her normal crabby self.

"I knew it was cold in here," Yang teased.

"Please, I won't even dignify that awful effort at humor." Weiss replied with a huff. She placed her crutches at the end of the table and sat down, folding the creases out of her combat skirt.

"I missed you so much Weiss!" Ruby cried out, embracing the girl in a bear hug. Her muffled complaints rang out to unfettered ears. That still didn't answer why Jaune was with her.

"Sorry I ran out earlier guys." He said.

"What did Professor Goodwitch need?" Pyrrha asked. Everyone leaned in from the table in curiosity, as Sun's tail batted the surface.

"Oh, nothing special," he stuttered, "She was just asking me about my meeting with Professor Peach. Glad she wasn't upset about it." Jaune chuckled, moving aside a blonde lock from the backside of his ear.

She didn't believe him for a second. Why would Professor Goodwitch only talk to Jaune? They both went looking for Peach, and she was the one receiving punishment. Blake was more bothered by the fact that he would lie to all of them, including her... had they not bonded this past week? Jaune did not know much about her past, and neither did she. She pulled out her scroll under the table and started texting Jaune, keeping her gaze ahead so that no one got suspicious.

"So how have you been Weiss," Neptune inquired, saddling over to her side of the table with a charming grin. Based on her smile, the blue-haired boy's appeal was working. "How does your foot feel?" he peeked under the table to examine her bandaged leg hovering above the ground.

"Thank you for asking, it should be healed within the next couple of days. Honestly I'm just glad to escape that awful smelling infirmary." Ruby handed her a plate full of vegetables she enjoyed.

The exchange between the two, _lovebirds,_ was somewhat nauseating. Neptune was a nice enough guy, but not the type of boy she would fawn over. She turned to look at Sun who was juggling an apple on his nose to the cheer of Ruby and Nora – she had to admit it was silly, and his personality was quite different then what she dealt with in the past. Adam was more reserved, but he was gentle. That was until Sienna Khan took over the White Fang, morphing him into a cold-blooded killer that would follow any order.

But what did she think about Jaune? Since their meeting in the library, Blake was quickly coming to welcome his company. He was intellectual, not just in medicine and first aid, but a sound minded individual that was open to learn new things – that was something she found attractive in a man. Jaune's social skills were somewhat lacking, but he was kind and considerate, always worrying about everyone but himself. There were no signs that Jaune was interested in a romantic relationship with her, though he was quick to seek her out. She couldn't bring herself to broach the topic, the embarrassment that would follow from Yang alone may her avoid it.

 _Blake: Can we speak in private after this?_ She texted.

 _Jaune: Yeah no problem, I'll stay behind._

"Spacing out Blake?" Yang asked, poking her in the cheek with her finger. She blinked back in response with a flush on her pale cheeks.

"Sorry, I was distracted by something." Yang's grin widened.

"Don't supposed it has anything to do with a certain blonde?" she continued to taut while holding back a giggle. Too bad she was right this time.

"Actually yes," Blake replied, "But I'm more curious about what happened between Jaune and Weiss..." Yang looked over with Blake at the heiress. She retained a smile while Neptune talked over her shoulder.

"Am I sensing jealousy?"

"Nothing so silly," Blake curtly responded. "Yesterday she hardly could stand to be in the same room as him – why the sudden change of heart?" Yang rested her chin in the palm of her left hand and shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe she finally realized how stupid she was being? I never understood Weiss' beef with Jaune anyway – Medics can be useful on the battlefield, I mean he helped her survive out there in the Forever Fall." Blake nodded, but she was wasn't certain that was the reason Weiss originally loathed his attention.

"I suppose..."

"You ok Blake?" Sun popped up next to her, the right side of his mouth full of pieces from the apple. Those from Vacuo were never known for their manners.

"I'm fine, just amusing myself."

"By the way Blake," Jaune said from across the table. "What's a good time for all of us to meet up back in the arena?" She almost forgot about his training. They still had a plethora of weapons to get to.

"How about later tonight?"

Jaune nodded in approval. "Sounds good."

"Blake, is it true you had Jaune try using a katana?" Weiss asked. She looked over in curiosity to see a stoic expression, the heiress carefully dissecting a piece of broccoli on her plate with the silverware.

"Yes, he also went through standard broadswords and a heavier claymore. Jaune was doing ok with the katana, but now I have my doubts." Why was she suddenly so interested in Jaune's training? Something definitely happened between the two of them recently. Despite this, Weiss probably could be helpful in finding Jaune the appropriate weapon.

"What about a spear?" Ruby chimed in.

"Ruby's got a good idea there, and Pyrrha could help!" Nebula added, tossing a stray fry into Nora's mouth. A good suggestion, but she already considered a spear.

"I'm not so sure about that," Pyrrha said. "Training with a spear requires a lot of finesse – what about a javelin? There much shorter." That could work, but would Jaune be up to use a weapon like that?

"There is one other weapon that Jaune could utilize." Weiss remarked with a smirk.

"And that would be?" she dared ask.

"A scythe!" Ruby interjected

Nora slammed her hands on the table. "You're all wrong, it's obviously a giant hammer that shoots grenades!" Blake was pretty sure no one could handle such an unwieldy weapon besides Nora... well maybe Pyrrha.

"Let them speak Nora," Ren admonished.

"I was _thinking_ more along the lines of, a rapier." Weiss nonchalantly answered. A rapier was the furthest thing she expected the white-haired girl to say. The blade wasn't too long and it allowed for precise thrusts in battle – and if Jaune used a shield he could watch their rear. Still... it was highly unusual to propose.

"You mean like Myrtenaster?" Jaune asked.

"It doesn't transform right?" Neptune also questioned, looking down at the weapon attached to her hip. He was right though, Weiss relied on the Dust rounds inside the chamber of the rapier.

"No it doesn't, I learned very quickly that it was almost impossible to do any modifications like Ruby's weapon. But if we made Jaune a shield that transformed into a gun, he could use it in battle." She was right again – Blake thought a Javelin would be easier to use though.

"I'll start drawing blueprints up for a shield then." Ruby excitedly said, her silver eyes shimmering in passion. Yang mentioned before in passing that Ruby was a self-professed weapons nerd.

The rest of dinner went by pretty normally, while Ruby discussed with Jaune what type of shield would fit his physique. Some joke about "measurements" got flung out by Yang which caused the teens to blush. Blake decided to talk with Jaune before everyone headed back to the arena; he would be exhausted by the time they finished to have a proper discussion. Of course she was still unsure about what they were going to talk about. She couldn't just bombard him with unwanted questions without knowing more about her.

Jaune trusted her, so she would do the same.

"Alright let's head out!" Yang announced. Everyone followed suit down the halls where the arena was located, but she grabbed Jaune by the shoulder.

"Can we talk real quick?" Jaune looked confused.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, sure no problem."

She peeked around the corner to make sure no one was listening. The faint buzzing around the cafeteria trickled through the metal doors, so she led Jaune a little further down the hall away from the noise. "Are you doing okay Jaune? When you left, you seemed a little agitated." Blake decided to be blunt, otherwise an awkward silence would have followed.

"I was just tired is all – there's nothing to worry about." She still didn't buy it, watching his blue eyes shift uncomfortably.

"And what happened between you and Weiss? She was acting very strange at dinner. I apologize if I'm asking so many questions out of the blue." Jaune shook his head and smiled, placing his firm hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he assured. "You're right though, it was weird. Weiss came up to me after I left the arena – she apologized, and decided to help me with my training. I don't know why she suddenly became so nice." His answers weren't good enough, but pushing him wouldn't solve anything.

"Jaune, I understand if you don't want to tell me everything right away. All you have to know is that I'm willing to listen whenever you're ready." His eyes widened at her statement, but he nodded. She could tell by Jaune's expression that he was crossed, fully aware of the lies.

"Later on... there is also some, details you should know about my past." She continued. Jaune was the only one in their circle of friends who was not aware of her past with the White Fang, and she planned to remedy that.

"I appreciate that Blake." He said in a hushed tone.

"Meet us in the arena when you're ready." She broke from Jaune's grip and blushed, missing the warmth from his touch.

Jaune watched Blake's retreating form with a somber expression, releasing a sigh at his own cowardice. She knew he was lying from the start. He told Weiss that Blake and the others didn't need to know, but the more he told the lies the worse he felt.

"Hey Jaune wait up!" Sun yelled.

"I thought you were with the rest of the group," he chuckled as Sun slid across the floor.

"Glad I caught up with ya, there was something I wanted to ask you." His brightened tone faded mid-sentence. The wagging of his furry tail also ceased – Jaune barely knew the Faunus, only that he met Blake and the others near the end of last semester. They fought Roman Torchwick at the docks in downtown Vale and caused a ruckus.

"No problem, what's on your mind?"

"This is embarrassing – it's about Blake."

Jaune hid any surprise. "What about her?" Sun placed both of his hands in his pockets, kicking at the floor as he struggled to answer.

"Are you... interest in Blake?" Jaune caught his breath, his mouth agape at the unexpected question.

"What, n-no," he stammered. "Believe me, we're just friends is all!" Jaune let out an unsure chuckle. Sun breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, his exuberant personality returning.

"Sorry, it's just you two have been spending a lot of time together recently so I got a little worried." Sun wasn't wrong in his statement, but he never really considered their interactions romantic in the slightest.

"It's okay, I understand," Jaune again replied. "Besides... she doesn't deserve a guy like me." He whispered, eyes averting to the floor.

"What did you say man?"

"Nothing, let's go join the others." Sun patted him on the back and started a conversation about how he snuck onto a boat to reach Vale. Sun always did come off as the rambunctious type in his antics. What troubled Jaune however was the melancholic answer he delivered to the Faunus – the notion of any relationship with the girls he met at Beacon was laughable, least of all with a girl like Blake.

He needed to stop putting himself down, there were always other girls in Remnant.

* * *

What drove her to confront Jaune? Common sense told her that she would be throwing everything away she worked for all these years. Yet her heart... it was overwhelmed by emotions of guilt, a realization that if she ignored his plight, she would be just as cruel as her Father or the Arc family. She didn't want that fate on anyone, to be abandoned on the streets as if they never existed. Her crutches took over and soon she was confronting Jaune in the halls and apologizing. It was the right thing to do, but the consequences down the line could be detrimental – Winter would proud of her at least.

She wanted to do what was right.

Weiss was looking forward to the new day. Last night's training was cut short midway so Jaune didn't tear any muscles. To her chagrin, they focused on using a javelin before settling on her suggestion to try a rapier. It wasn't like she just suggested it because she used one – a rapier perfectly fit the combat style that Jaune could practice as a medic. At least progress was being made in some form. Nebula got a kick out of throttling Jaune in the arena, pointing out the tiniest mistake in his posture or defense – she was ruthless, but coming from Vacuo taught her how to bare the harshest conditions.

Neptune's presence was comforting in light of what she been through, and the attention reminded her that someone cared. Unfortunately any time they were able to spend together was minimal. Neptune said he was enthusiastic to help Jaune train if he needed it, but that wasn't the most interesting piece of information he relayed. Before she went to bed, he explained Sun's unusual behavior in the arena when he and Jaune returned – the boy was jealous of the time Jaune and Blake were spending together, and decided to confront him. Yet the two of them were amicable when they arrived at the arena.

If she had to guess, Jaune probably conceded that nothing was going on between the two.

"Breakfast smells so delicious today," Yang commented in front of their dorm as they waited for Blake and Ruby to exit. Perhaps it would be a good idea to ask Neptune out on a date for this weekend?

"Afraid breakfast will have to be delayed." Weiss turned to see Professor Goodwitch approach. She glanced down at her scroll and looked back at her students with a look of dissatisfaction. It could only mean trouble.

"What about no breakfast!?" Ruby complained.

"How can we help you Professor?" Weiss politely replied.

The professor adjusted her glasses. "Team RWBY is to report to my office to hear details about their next upcoming mission. Jaune Arc and Professor Peach will also be joining – we leave at 1200 hours." Weiss was dumbfounded, and going by the expressions of her teammates, she wasn't alone.

"We just got back from a mission!" Yang remarked.

"Again, I apologize, but this is urgent." Professor Goodwitch answered.

But what could be so immediate that a first year team was requested to go on a mission during classes? Her stomach was upset, the implications more than worrying. Jaune barely had any time to train, yet he would be forced back onto the frontlines with them. She was going to have to call Winter and call in some favors – he deserved that much.

"Doctor!" a gravelly voice called out in the damp chamber. The room was illuminated by low-hanging neon lights that reflected off the stone walls.

"I'm here, I'm here, settled down you brute." Hazel released a tired sigh, not expecting the mission to be so difficult in the long run. But Doctor Merlot was important for their plans. The brief urges to choke the man out only receded when he actually worked.

"Give me the results." Merlot handed over a file with a pleased smile, his mechanical fingers brushing through his gray beard.

"You will be satisfied – but success is only rewarded by more guarantees." Hazel ignored his comment, an obvious hint to request more funds. The tests were successful however, which meant he would be given a substantial amount of resources within the next month.

"Continue your work, I'm heading back. Cinder will be your contact from now on." He placed the file under his arm and headed for the wooden door. Their plans would accelerate if Merlot's research was fruitful – he didn't care for science or experimental Grimm. He was on a hunt.

 **Isn't this is a Weiss and Jaune story? Then what's going on with Blake and stuff? The road to love is treacherous and hard fought, including for both Jaune and Weiss. I hope my reasons for RWBY having to go on this mission were somewhat adequate, but I hope you're more excited for what's in store in the next chapter and beyond.**

 **A rapier for Jaune you say? Yes this was always the plan, the idea of him fencing always appealed to me, and with a shield it allows him for quick hits before retreating back so he can take care of the others. For those who don't know who Dr. Merlot is, I recommend you look him up on the RWBY wikia, because he is a canonical character.**


	10. Whispers

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Twenty: Whispers

 **Here's another chapter, and while I always say I'll be getting back on track with my schedule, I probably wasn't telling the truth because of holidays. But don't worry, I'm always going to try and get at least one chapter for each story every week until they are finished.**

When he was roused from his sleep, Jaune didn't expected to receive the grim news that he and RWBY would be shipped out on another reconnaissance mission. Pun aside, he was completely nervous and unsure of his required performance out in the field. What happened in the Forever Fall with Weiss was nerve-wracking, and then when he found out Tawny was dead... it was like for a whole week all of the training he learned at school vanished from his mind. The only bearable light in his predicament was Professor Peach.

Headmaster Ozpin found it appropriate to have the professor assist Glynda on the mission as a precaution to what happened last time. He would fill a lot more comfortable knowing his new foster mother would be there to take care of them, and it would be interesting to learn more about the professor's teachings in regard to medicine. The downside to whole matter was that he received barely any training and still lacked any true weapon to defend himself with. He was able to borrow an iron breastplate from Professor Port last night before he went to bed – of course he forgot to tell the others this.

The armor while dented and smudged, fit comfortably over his school uniform. He looked at himself in the mirror and examined his back, please with his appearance. Funny enough, he felt stronger; like he could take on a Grimm the size of a house. Without a sword to assault said Grimm, his boost of confidence was null. He let out a tired sigh and exited the room, making his way down to the front of the academy where Ruby and the others were waiting. Miss Goodwitch, as she preferred to be called by him now, sent him a message to arrive an hour earlier for personal business. His family was most likely involved in some form.

Jaune found the ambiance of the school bizarre as he walked through the halls of Beacon, passing by students gossiping about classes and good looking boys that were part of the transfers. Sun's words from the previous day rang in his mind, bringing to mind the quiet Faunus he got to know so well. Yesterday he was fine with the thought of Sun asking Blake out, as a silent beauty such as herself would never be interested in someone unreliable. So why did it bother him? It was embarrassing to think that he developed a crush on Blake.

He shook his head of the thought and concentrated on the mission ahead. Dallying thoughts would lead to another mistake. Plus there was nothing to think about anyway, they were just silly what if scenarios.

The outside of the academy was barren with early morning classes beginning, and only the accompanying sounds of the rudders from bullheads filled the eerie silence. He could make out the rigid posture of Miss Goodwitch near the towering statue of his famous ancestor – a bleak reminder of his Father's need to force the legacy on his children. Surely not all the Arc men were as ruthlessly callous.

When the professor spot him, he adjusted the plate so that it was level, wanting to impress her out of some emotional need to feel congratulated. Like it or not, she was his guardian now. Glynda appeared peppy, not a wrinkle present on her studious expression. She nodded in approval at his early arrival and adjusted her glasses, a lock of blonde ear falling behind her tiny ears.

"Thank you for coming here early Jaune, I have something important to tell you."

"No problem, I figured it was-is it about the mission?" He only was briefed about the barest details, so maybe she wanted to talk about his involvement as a medic.

"No... Headmaster Ozpin informed me that you have a private call awaiting you at the CCT. A booth has already been reserved." A private call? The only person who ever called was someone from home. His Father all but disowned him, and wouldn't be caught dead messaging him – one of his younger sisters perhaps? That would be wonderful.

"Do you know who it's from?""

"I'm afraid not, Headmaster Ozpin did not privy me with that information. However I suggest you hurry before the others arrive." Jaune nodded in return and made his way over to where the CCT was stationed at Beacon.

The look in Glynda's eyes was pained. She probably had an idea of who contacted him. Jaune dreaded the thought of confronting his Father now that he was disowned, any politeness he bore for being a part of the family would be gone. He grit his teeth and looked ahead, mesmerized by the lumbering tower that casted its shadow across the campus. The rugged buttresses and arches gave the structure a grandiose appearance – like a castle out of the stories his Mother once read to him.

A few lingering students without classes buzzed around the fountain by the entrance. He would have stopped to admire the double-doors coated with crimson paint and lacquered wood, but he was in a hurry, and Glynda would reprimand him if he was late. The receptionist at the tower wasn't human, taking him a little by surprise how much technology evolved over the years. Thankfully he didn't need to use the elevator since a private booth on the first floor was reserved for the call.

He sat down at the monitor and heard the door click behind him, until the console vibrated. The screen was full of static, and when a face emerged, Jaune's mouth went agape, unsure of how to process his sister's appearance. With a calm demeanor and furrowed brow, Olive Arc sat in a lavish chair, her blue eyes lighting up

"Jaune... I'm glad you decided to answer."

"O-Olive, I can't believe you called-are you not busy on a mission? Wait, how is everybody?" There were so many questions he wanted to ask. She didn't laugh, rarely showing emotion to anyone in the family – the only noticeable facial reaction was a raised eyebrow.

"Settle down Jaune," Olive said in an authoritative voice, "I know you don't have much time, but I have two reasons for my abrupt call." Olive's eyes shimmered against the screen until she averted her gaze.

"What is it...?"

"Jaune, I wanted to... apologize." His breath hitched at the comment and he swallowed. Was she really apologizing? Between his elder sisters and father, Olive always was the least cruel, never directly berating him. Olive's words of encouragement motivated him to finally enroll into medical school.

"How come now... you could have always said something when Father wasn't around. Mother and the others respected you-I'm sure they would have understood your position. But If you really, don't hate me," Jaune paused. "Then I forgive you." It was hard to utter out loud. To disregard years of neglect in an instant – but he would forgive her, because the only thing he wanted was to have another family member love him.

"I think Father is wrong," Olive stated, catching him again off-guard. "Whatever any legal document or proclamation Father makes, you'll always be my brother." Jaune shut his eyes and turned away from the monitor, trying his best to hold back the tears. He couldn't understand why his sister was having such a change of heart, but it filled him with joy. The previous day's events and his disownment meant nothing now that Olive expressed her true feelings.

"Can you at least tell me why?" Olive sported a rare grin.

"Yes... but." Jaune leaned back and stuttered, the look of distraught on Olive's expression making him nervous. Her stoic expression was marred by emotion, her rosy lips trembling before she spoke.

"Jaune, it's about our Mother-she, I don't know what to say. Mother passed away last night, she's been ill for some time now and I'm afraid by your reaction that Father never informed you. I'm so sorry Jaune." He paused, focusing on the tears that streamed down Olive's porcelain-like skin.

She had to be lying... right?

A mental picture of his Mother baking a dozen chocolate chip cookies in the winter emerged in his head. Jaune almost fell off the chair, steadying himself with the shelf carrying the monitor. He began to pant heavily as memories of his childhood flashed across his mind. Throughout his younger days, his Mother often fell ill and was treated at the hospital for a rare disease – but the doctors always said it was treatable, that she could live a normal life. That was what his Father told them all... it must have been much worse.

"Did they expect this?" He whispered, eyes downtrodden.

Olive cleared her throat and wiped away a lone tear from her eyes. "Since you left for Beacon, she's been staying in the hospital-Father, he forbade us from telling you." She explained it all through a hoarse voice.

How could he keep this from him? If he had known... no it probably wasn't his father who ordered it. His mother conjured the lie in an attempt to let him concentrate on his studies – there was no doubt if he had learned about her condition, he would have left school immediately to be at her side. There was still one thing he needed to know.

"Did she... suffer?"

"No, it was peaceful, but I didn't get to see her. The rest of your sisters will remain in the care of Father. Again, I'm so sorry I have to tell you this now, I know you have a mission coming up." Olive struggled to say.

"Olive, thank you, I... have to go." The screen went black, and he relaxed back into the chair, his arms slumping to the sides. He stared up at the ceiling and fought back more tears, steeling himself for the others.

Too many people he knew were dying, and he wouldn't let that happen on the mission. Without looking back, he kicked the chair into the corner of the room and left the CCT with burdensome heart. At the moment, he couldn't see straight, the world momentarily blurry as his emotions swelled up. He clenched his fist and punched a nearby wall outside of the building, garnering a few confused stares and whispers. Taking a few breaths, Jaune looked forward and made a promise to his deceased mother and family – cursing himself for not ever checking up on them.

 _No one else will die Mom._

* * *

The crisp morning air did little to assuage Blake's thoughts on the sudden news of their mission. She tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her shoulder and looked up at her teammates, all wearing varied expressions. Professor Goodwitch and Peach would be at the front entrance waiting on standby with a bullhead, yet they insisted on all of them packing supplies for the short trip. Apparently the routine patrol would take place several days within the wildlands. In the time allotted before the mission, she packed a few books and some matches, leaving the rest of the essentials up to her team.

None of their friends learned of their upcoming departure, but she was positive Ruby already sent word to everyone. Her ears perked up as the sound of footfalls grew louder from behind them, and she turned to see Sun and Neptune rushing down the hall in her direction.

"Is it true?" Sun almost bellowed.

"That we're leaving for a mission-yes." Sun exchanged a look of concern between Neptune and trailed with the four of them as they walked.

"But aren't students assigned missions after the dance?" Neptune quizzically asked as he shot a subtle wink at Weiss. Blake wasn't in disagreement of what they were saying, it was indeed unusual.

"Well the professors thought we were badass enough to go on another mission before then," Yang bragged, "Besides it's only some reconnaissance mission or something-nothing exciting." Sun chuckled in response to her bold statement.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Sun asked.

Blake let out a sigh at Sun's questioning. She he knew meant well enough, but it was annoying all the same. "Probably a couple of days at the most. We should really hurry up guys." Weiss looked down at her scroll and nodded, convincing Ruby and Yang to pick up the pace.

"Good luck." Neptune called out.

As they neared the entrance, Yang nudged her in the shoulder and batted her lilac eyes. The mischievous grin on her face was an all familiar gesture that she was thinking of a way to embarrass her. Lately she joked about her recent outings with Jaune and how it would make Sun jealous. Honestly, she didn't know what to think of their recent blonde friend... he definitely held a lot of positive qualities. Yet she never intended to enter Beacon academy to look for teenage romance – she was here to become a Huntress and make a difference.

When they reached the outside of the academy, she could already see Jaune standing beside Professor Goodwitch with a solemn expression. Even from this distance, Blake could see the tired look in his ocean blue eyes, someone who was fraught with so much in so little time. She tried to imagine what could have happened so early in the morning, but she knew well enough that if Jaune wanted to speak about it, he would come forward. Unknown to him, Blake volunteered herself among the group to personally stand guard for him during the mission.

"I'm glad you could join us team RWBY." Professor Goodwitch replied in a monotone voice as they made their way down the steps of the entrance.

"We wouldn't think of being late Professor." Weiss said.

"Hey wait a second," Ruby interjected, "Where's Professor Peach?" Professor Goodwitch let out an annoyed sigh and looked over their shoulders with an impatient look.

"That is a good question Miss Rose."

"Don't worry I'm here!" Peach yelled as she almost stumbled to the ground. In both her arms were ruffled green bags that were chained to a belt on her hip.

"Late as usual..." Glynda drawled.

The eccentric professor hadn't change in the time her and Jaune visited. She still wore a lab coat that hugged most of her petite body, but on her back was a 50. Caliber sniper rifle that housed different Dust cartridges under its magazine. She caught Blake staring and waved, earning an eye roll from her as walked toward Jaune whose face was still gloomy. His blue eyes were focused onto the cloudy sky and the distant thunder that roared across the cliffs. She found it uncanny that the weather happened to compliment the mood of everyone present.

"Sorry for being late, had to grab a few things before we left." Peach smacked one of the bags that rattled against the chains. Knowing the professor, there was no telling what kind of experiment was lying inside.

"Now that everyone is accounted for," Professor Goodwitch began, "As you were previously told, we are heading for Mariani for reconnaissance and patrol-Vale forces need an assessment of the Grimm forces gathering in the sector." If it was so simple, why bring along two professors?'

"What if they attack us?" Yang asked.

"We'll only engage in small skirmishes-avoid contact with any larger class Grimm. Even with me and Professor Peach, it will be dangerous if a horde of Grimm surrounded us, especially Goliaths or Ursa." They were using tactics employed by the previous generation of Hunters. The White Fang used similar techniques when teaching their recruits – sadly they were all used for militia attacks and bombings.

"I'll answer any further questions on the ride there." Professor Goodwitch escorted them over to the bullhead, which was a larger model then the one students used.

The compartment was much roomier, having enough seats for everyone to stretch out their legs. She decided to sit by Jaune, curious as to why he was acting so melancholic. The rudders came on and spun, drowning out the cool breeze outside. The constant humming blared against her eardrums, though she taught herself to tune it out on previous excursions. Professor Goodwitch said that the ride to Mariani would take at least an hour and thirty minutes, giving her plenty of chances to talk with Jaune. The only problem was Yang, the blonde eying them with a Cheshire smirk. She could be too nosey for her own good.

She looked down at Jaune's hands to see him fiddling with his fingers in some nervous twitch. The rucksack next to him was bundled tight, with the zipper jammed near its edge; packing in a hurry usually resulted in that. She placed her hand onto his shoulder, causing him to flinch at the contact. She pulled away, but Jaune let out a sigh. A stifled giggle from Yang earned her a glare, the brawler nonchalantly whistling as she walked across the bullhead to sit by Ruby and Weiss.

"Jaune, are you okay?"

"Sorry Blake... I just, something happened." His words were sparse and heavy, the delayed breaths an obvious indication of his mood.

"Jaune, you can tell me if you want, I won't tell anyone." He chuckled, grasping her hand in surprise. A blush crept onto her face but she didn't push him away, actually enjoying the warmth it brought.

"Oh, sorry, I..." He pulled away once he noticed.

"It's okay." She returned a brief smile.

The rest of the ride to Mariani was filled with moments of silence that were only interrupted by quick chats about the environment. The village was known for its swamplands and rainy weather, a harsh place for Huntsman and Huntresses to kill Grimm that used the environment to its advantage. In the corner of the bullhead were several overcoats that Professor Goodwitch packed for them; the material was sewn to keep students warm in frigid conditions. The White Fang's Vale branch actually avoided Mariani because of its mercenary gangs that frequented the bars and bounty hunter offices. She was a little worried how open the folks there would be upon their arrival.

The patter of rain assaulted the bullhead as they grew closer to the swamps, and the side doors closed, obscuring any glimpse of the land below. The professor stood up and handed the coats to each of them, the linings and top collars adorned with white fur that insulated heat. The coats themselves were all black, complementing the rest of her attire. She watched as her leader snuggled up to Yang with a worried smile, reminding Blake of Ruby's naiveté despite her strength. Yet she was still the only person she wanted to lead her against the Grimm, her ability to not judge others admirable. It was a trait she actually saw in Jaune, and if he attended Beacon, she would not have been surprised if he led his own team.

The bullhead shifted as it began to lower into an open area near the village gates. Blake stood up and grabbed one of the handles to steady herself as the bullhead touched down – the rain was now battering the metal, and the clinking sound became almost rhythmic. When the doors opened, she could feel the mist against her cheeks, and the wind picked up, causing the rain to go sideways. Setting up camp in the swamps would be difficult, especially if they couldn't make a fire because of the rain. Then again, she assumed one of the professors had a plan for such an occasion.

"This weather sucks!" Yang cried out.

"I'm afraid it's quite normal for Mariani Miss Xiao Long." Professor Goodwitch answered back with a smirk. She never knew the woman to have a sense of humor.

"Professor," The pilot yelled, "I'll be back in two days at 0800 hours-please try to be here-but if there's a delay the Headmaster will message you!" She nodded, and the door to the bullhead slammed shut.

Blake watched as the bullhead pulled up, the force from the rudders throwing up nearby leafs and moss into the air. She looked at Yang and the others and noticed Weiss pulling the coat over her shoulders, hugging her arms in a vain attempt to warm herself up. Was it funny that the resident "ice queen" was cold? She was more surprised that Yang didn't make a joke out of it. She also found it hard to believe that there was any chance of them going out for patrols in this storm. Professor Peach bent down near a puddle and used a spyglass to examine some form of plant, oblivious to her surroundings.

"Everyone, please follow me to the nearby inn," Professor Goodwitch instructed. "And let me you remind so you don't forget later on-by no means cause a ruckus. There are several unfavorable characters in these parts who do not like the presence of Hunters." If there were plenty of mercenaries around, why go to the trouble of putting up a request for Huntsman?

"I'll keep myself under control." Yang replied with a giggle.

Large wooden gates stood between them and the village, and the lock was wedged by two large metal ingots, the material strong enough to withstand the strength of most Grimm. Atop a ledge on each side of the gate, was two spotlights that beamed their lights in their direction. She could hear the cocking of guns and the mumble of suspicious men. Professor Goodwitch stepped forward with both arms up and bowed slightly.

"We aren't intruders, we're here from Beacon academy."

"For the request," One of the men shouted. "Come in!" The gates opened slowly, and the bending of locks echoed against the sound of rain. Villagers rushed out with their guns leveled in the opposite direction, their breath visible in the cold as they turned to look into foliage. They had every reason to be on high alert – it would take days to walk to Vale.

So far, the welcoming wasn't a good sign.

* * *

Weiss found the rainy weather dreadful, her overcoat soaked from the bottom up. She had to avoid placing any of her heels into the large puddles of mud inside the village. Professor Goodwitch led them to a large wooden building in the middle of the village that was surrounded by patrons. The front of the inn had a roof hanging overhead on the porch, where a couple of men sat drinking with curious expressions. No doubt the ruffians were thinking horrendous thoughts about her team – men from such backwater locations often spelled trouble. Yet Jaune seemed the most troubled of all.

She couldn't have been the only one to notice his attitude when they arrived outside Beacon. Something was amiss with the boy, though knowing what he was going through, she had no doubt it was family related... she also was dealing with her own problems in that area. There was also the fact that he barely got any training done since Tawny's death, only having found him a suitable weapon yesterday. Luckily she made an emergency call to have someone at the company launch a pod with the modified weapons she needed for him. With the heavy storm, it would take at least an hour before it arrived.

The pungent scent of alcohol invaded her nostrils as they entered the inn, accompanied by the loud shouts of jovial customers. The building was far more pack then she imagined, with every corner of the establishment occupied with men and women singing or playing games of pool. Several inconspicuous people caught her gaze, some of the men in ragged brown cloaks that were soaked from the rain. The stares they received from the customers were quite unpleasant, a look of shock mixed with disdain as Professor Goodwitch and Peach escorted them up to the main desk in the room on the left.

"Excuse me, are you proprietor?" professor Goodwitch asked.

"Yep, that would be me." A scraggly old man answered while scratching his back. The wrinkles around his face almost covered his squinting eyes, while the hair on his chin had whitened years ago.

"My name is Professor Goodwitch, and these are my students behind me-we're here for the request you sent." The old man scratched his beard and appeared lost in thought until he snapped his fingers.

"Ah yes," The man slowly answered, "You're looking for Natsuhiko, the mayor of this fine village. He should be out there in the inn with the rest of the youngsters-probably already a few drinks in." He chortled, pointing to a tall lean man at the bar wearing a black plume hat.

Natsuhiko was quieter than the others around him, but Weiss noticed the blush on his cheeks, and as they drew closer, the odor of whiskey was evident. Professor Goodwitch tapped the man on the shoulder, and he turned blindly into their direction, spilling alcohol onto the floor. Even she could tell the man was drunk, his eyes blurry and speech clearly slurred. Natsuhiko set the mug down onto the bar and stood from his chair, patting down the red kilt that was snugged against his waist. The plain green shirt was covered with a brown sash that read the word "Mayor" in bold letters.

How were they supposed to converse with a drunk mayor?

"I assume you're Natsuhiko?" Professor Goodwitch asked with a similar look of disbelief on her face. The man smiled and nodded his head.

"That's correct, I'm the mayor of this amazing village!" Natsuhiko announced to the cheer of the patrons. Weiss couldn't believe this place.

"We're here for the request... I'm from Beacon academy." Natsuhiko's eyes widened at the statement, and he saddled up next to Professor Goodwitch with a lecherous smile.

"And to think," Natsuhiko slurred, "That such a sexy woman could hail from that pretentious academy." Glynda squeaked, the sensation of the man's hands on her buttocks causing her to react, punching Natsuhiko so hard in the chest that he barreled through one of the tables.

"Don't ever touch me!" Professor Goodwitch shouted with a blush.

"Nice moves Glynda," Professor Peach added.

"Let this me a lesson students," Professor Goodwitch began with a huff. "Never let anyone touch you physically without permission-it could lead to serious harm and legal actions." Yang couldn't stop laughing.

"You're so strong professor!" Ruby commented.

The sound of broken wood collapsing to the floor broke their conversation as Natsuhiko removed a board from atop his lap, rubbing his stomach in pain. "Damn... you sure pack a helluva punch lady-I think I'm sober now."

"That will make things a lot easier."

"I already got yall rooms for tonight, didn't know how long it would take for you guys to get rid of the Grimm." Natsuhiko said, brushing off wooden chips from his arms. Up close he was quite handsome, and young for his position.

"That would be wonderful," Professor Goodwitch said as she bowed, being courtesy even in front of the same man who fondled her. "We'll be leaving for the wildlands after lunch, so hopefully the weather will let up." Natsuhiko chuckled, and pointed to the door.

"You're welcome to lunch, but don't give your hopes up on this storm going away. Hey young man, must feel lucky getting to be around all these beautiful young ladies." He shot a wink at Jaune who blushed.

 _He is indeed lucky._

"Grub sounds awesome, let's get some food Rubes." Yang grabbed Ruby by the arm, the young girl protesting that she wanted to stay with everyone else.

"Very well, you're free to roam around the inn and acquire lunch, but meet at the entrance in one hour." The professor let out a sigh and made her way over to the bathroom, leaving her with Professor Peach and the rest of the team. Weiss highly doubted that this inn served anything to her liking, especially because she favored healthy alternatives.

"It's just us then, I'll grab us a table, come help me Jaune alright?" Before he could answer, the professor grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him into the corner where an empty table was located.

Professor Peach's choice of location in the inn was suitable for their group, and while Ruby was away with Yang, it allowed her to observe the illusive woman. Jaune and Blake had described their meeting with the professor before, yet she was still unlike any of the teachers at Beacon. She was bold and talkative, interacting with the rest of her team as if she was the same age – but from what Jaune explained, she was a genius and an exile. A woman shunned for her ideas of keeping peace using a method most Huntsman would laugh at. This was the person that motived Jaune to become who he was today... if only she could find such motivation in an individual.

"Don't be shy princess, come join us!" The professor shouted.

"I-I'm not a princess," Weiss corrected, "I'm an heiress." She huffed as she walked over to the table and sat across from Jaune, catching his brief smirk. It was much better than seeing that mopey expression from earlier.

"So don't be nervous kids," Professor Peach said, "I know how it is, especially in a seedy place like this-just keep to yourselves and will be out of here real soon." How she was cheerful in such a dreadful place was beyond Weiss.

"We appreciate your help Professor."

"Thank you Miss Schnee."

A few minutes later, she caught Yang and Ruby from the corner of her eye bringing several plates topped with pieces of bread and baked chicken. A minimal feast for sure, but she was famished from the long trip. Complaining about the meals in an establishment that offered free board would be rude. She could tell by the wayward table manners from her friends that she wasn't the only one starving. Yang plucked the meat off the large chicken breast with her fingers, while Ruby nibbled on the flat bread with a disappointed smile; it seemed only sweets appeased the young girl when accompanied by lunch.

She looked down at the plate and released a sigh, picking up the wooden fork that was carved by the villagers. These circumstances were part of becoming a Huntress, to experience what people beyond the massive walls at Vale or even Atlas have to endure to survive. She placed a morsel of chicken into her mouth, her eyes lighting up in surprise at the rich flavor and texture it presented. Winter once said that not all treasures are mined like Dust from mountains – she was right. Perhaps it was her hunger, but it was one of the best lunches she ever had, and she blushed at the smiles she was receiving.

"Enjoy lunch ice queen?"

"It was... quite delicious actually."

Yang let out a chuckle. "Don't need a loaded chef to make a good meal." No you didn't, and she would take that advice to heart.

"Um, Professor." Jaune spoke up, trailing his blue eyes at the eccentric woman. She halted midway in her lunch, a piece of chicken hanging from her mouth. Why in the world Doctor Oobleck married someone so offbeat was beyond anything she could fathom – then again love wasn't biased.

She couldn't be incompetent if Headmaster Ozpin chose her.

"Sorry about that," Peach giggled, "What's up?"

Jaune placed his utensils onto the table and looked back at the revolving inn doors, the sound of heavy rain still evident. "Are reconnaissance missions for students usually so far away from the academy?" The professor hummed at his question and wiped her mouth.

"To be honest, not really-I won't lie, you guys were chosen because of your skill. But as you can see, Oz sent two of us to watch over you because of the distance and type of Grimm that might be out here." Weiss wasn't that surprised, no headmaster would risk his students lives.

"If the mission is potentially dangerous, why not send a second or third-year team like CVFY? I don't think I've ever saw a fourth-year student in Beacon either." Blake commented. Now that she thought about, Blake was right – none of the seniors had so far made an appearance.

"Afraid they're all too busy," The professor curtly replied. "Look, there's no need to worry, I'm sure this mission will be simple." The doors to the inn busted open and a haggard man covered in moss and rain fell onto the floor panting. The building went silent as the man stuttered to form his words.

"Grimm, outside the gate!"

Without a second to think, she and the rest of her team sprinted outside pass the crowd. A little further ways beyond the gate, the trees that lined the swampy lands shook against a violent tremor. She ignored the pouring rain that assaulted her back and focused on the silhouette emerging against the spotlights that were directed north. With a loud roar, the Grimm became visible as it jumped in front of the gate, pounding its chest in a show of dominance. She remembered reading about Beringels and how strong they were... now they were about to found out. They would catch pneumonia if they stayed out in the rain without those overcoats that Professor Goodwitch provided, so she rushed back into the inn to retrieve them.

"Jaune what are you doing?" She ask as he stared back at the beast, ignoring the rain dripping down his exposed face.

"Trying not to run away."

"Stay in the inn until we need you!" He flinched at the request and nodded, accepting that without any weapon to use, he was only in the way.

 _I'm sorry Jaune._ Weiss thought as she joined the others back outside. She would make it up to him in time. Right now, they had to make sure that gate didn't fall.

* * *

 **So this was delayed by a day or so because of... personal things that happened. Sorry about this again, and I hope you're enjoying the story!**


	11. Novice

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Eleven: Novice

 **This chapter was a little difficult to write for several reasons other than content. Jaune and Weiss are going to go through a lot on their current mission, and several developments for the overall story will begin to unfold. Some people have brought up some interesting points in the reviews, which I read all of, that's right, your reviews do not go unnoticed! At this point however, Jaune's choice in weapons is set, although it go through a number of modifications.**

 **Now writing the next chapter of The Heat has been harrowing because of its direction. This was inevitable for Jaune, but he will of course prevail.**

* * *

The drenching rain only worsened her visibility, being able to only catch a glimpse of the Grimm as it tore down one of the main spotlights. The sound of crushing metal was blended with the guttural roar of the Beringel. It launched the crumbled up piece of machinery and launched it across the village like a deflated volleyball. Weiss found her breath hitch as the headlight barely missed one of the houses behind the gates, skidding across the ground and creating a trail of mud. She wasted no time and formed a series of complicated glyphs that hovered in the air, centering them on the Breingel's exposed chest.

A barrage of icicles rammed into the Grimm, exploding on impact and creating a mist of ice that dispersed through the air, freezing the ground below it and causing a patch of rain to convert into snowflakes. The sight was actually beautiful, lighting up the darkness of the swamp as if the moon was shining clearly through the trees. Her attack created a mist that clouded her visage, only making out the silhouettes of Ruby and the others around her. She looked over to Yang and narrowed her icy blue eyes.

"Did it get him?" She called over the continuous gunshots that rang out from the villagers weapons.

"I can't see anything," Yang complained, "Blake can you see anything?" The mist cleared over time, the rainfall clearing away the buildup and revealing Blake. Her Faunus teammate's amber orbs didn't move, lifting up Gambol Shroud and separating it from the sheath.

"Hardly did any actual damage."

Weiss looked up to see the Beringel roar again in unbridled fury, lifting its large hands and curling them into fists. It brought down both hands with a massive force, splitting the ground into cracked arches that splintered up. She dodged the obstacles with her usual grace and watched as Ruby unloaded several rounds from Crescent Rose that grazed the creature's shoulders. The villagers continued their onslaught of gunfire, focusing a mounted machinegun that used fire-based Dust bullets. The Beringel's scales that were situated on its back absorbed most of the volley – she knew it was only pissing it off.

"Stop firing, you'll only enrage it!" Weiss attempted to shout. To her avail, the Beringel twisted around and brought up its right hand to smack it against the tower where several men were positioned.

To her horror, the tower crumbled into pieces and buried the men under the rubble, dust kicking up from the debris that was covered by the pouring rain. If they didn't stop the Grimm at the entrance it would flatten the entire area within minutes. She gripped the hilt of Myrtenaster and pointed it forward so that the tip was aimed at the Beringel's right side. Yang came from above and shot off a few rounds from Ember Celica, only for the beast to shake its head in annoyance. She would have to time her attack right after Blake and Ruby took another shot at its legs. It had to be perfect.

Petals from Ruby's semblance fluttered to the ground, giving Weiss an available opportunity. She counted down to three until it touched the ground and became soaked. Weiss released a glyph under her feet and rushed forward with the speed of a car, enclosing on the Beringel's exposed right arm and bombarding it with a flurry of thrusts. A wail of pain exited the Grimm's mouth and it backed up against the broken gate doors, clenching its arm in pain. She looked into its red eyes and noticed them widen, the irises void of any true emotion.

"Individual attacks aren't going to work!" She said to Ruby who stood next to her with a grimace. The raven-haired girl nodded and transformed Crescent Rose back into its sniper rifle form. She knew exactly what Ruby was planning.

"Are you guys ready?" Before she got into position, Weiss caught a quick glimpse of Jaune back at the inn, watching in awe with a pained expression. She knew how he felt about not being able to help – even stranger was the smile on Professor Peach's face who stood next to him. She had to wonder why the professors didn't help.

Within her skirt, she felt her scroll vibrate at an uncontrollable rate. Ruby tilted her head and gave a strange look – not that she blamed her. The call must have been reminder of her package, and she fished the device out and slipped it into her hands to see it was a simple text: _Package arriving in two minutes Miss Schnee._

Jaune's weapon... it was arriving on schedule. But what use would it be, he never got a chance to train before they were rushed off. But the pod could serve to be a distraction for the Grimm. It would have to do, and with Professor Goodwitch and Peach watching, failure was not an option.

"Freezerburn!" Ruby ordered.

Weiss jammed Myrtenaster into the dirt and formed a glyph around her body. Ice spread across the mud, covering most of the front entrance and trailing near the edge of the gates. Yang followed the queue and slammed her fists into ice, dispersing it into a large mist that covered that village. Blake and Ruby used the opportunity to attack the Grimm from both sides – the formation was titled "Lady Bug". Ruby's scythe connected with the Beringel's feet, leaving jagged cuts across the lower half of its body, while her quieter teammate dragged Gambol Shroud in an upward motion that disoriented the beast.

The attacks still weren't enough.

"Ruby, over here!" She called out, catching the girl's attention. Her silver eyes widened in recognition, switching back Crescent Rose's form.

"Ice Flower right?" Ruby asked with a smirk.

While Yang distracted the Grimm, Ruby knelt on one knee and positioned her sniper rifle around the Beringel's neck. Weiss noticed how she blinked a few times before resting her chin on top of the weapon. She produced another glyph that surrounded Crescent Rose, the symbols rotating as Ruby began to fire the bullets now encased in hardened ice. The modified Dust casings exploded in the face of the creature, producing flower-like sculptures that would have looked beautiful by themselves.

Another roar was released by the Beringel, the shards of ice that were attached to its face crumbling into pieces. The rain was beginning to lighten, and Weiss could make out a bright object approaching. When the pod touched down, she would use that moment to thrust Myrtenaster into the Grimm's throat. Ruby looked up into the sky in confusion, making out a trail of smoke from the boosters on the back of the storage unit. She hoped this was would be the last glyph to cast, as her aura was beginning to enter the orange zone.

Her speed was enhanced by another glyph, sprinting toward the Beringel as it threw Yang aside like a rag doll. The blonde soar through the air until she fell through a tile roof of the building next to the inn. She almost froze, wanting desperately to check on her teammate, but she wouldn't be given another chance to kill the Beringel. The Grimm in a bout of fury ripped off a chunk of land and threw it at Blake – she was able to dodge it but some of the rocks pelted her in the back. A trickle of blood dripped across the Faunus' forehead, but she urged her to continue before the glyph's effects wore off.

The whirring of the pod reached a fever pitch over the village, stabbing into the ground with the strength of a blade. The Grimm stopped its attempted tackle on Ruby and Blake, and twisted its head to look at the object.

"Now Weiss!" Blake shouted.

With a regrettable sigh, Weiss slid under the Beringel using the mud that accumulated from the rain. She mentally broke out in tears as her outfit was stained in a mixture of water and dirt, her face which she spent hours to maintain its healthy complexion was covered in grime within seconds. Despite the setback, she leapt up the Grimm's back and thrust her rapier into the back of its neck, the blade sinking through fur and skin and penetrating all the way through to the other side. The Beringel let out a choking sound and went limp, its massive body sliding to the ground with a thud.

"What luck I have..." She whispered.

A giggle erupted from Ruby across the way as she looked over Weiss. She could feel the mud dripping from all over her body, the dirt sliding down her arms and legs. Thank goodness she packed another outfit in case of an emergency – but all she cared about right now was Yang's condition. She looked over where Yang fell earlier and saw one of the villagers lift the girl up, the brawler wiping herself off with a chuckle. Only a few cuts and bruises from what she could see, but they could have Jaune look her over later.

"Yang are you okay?" Jaune asked. He sprint over and checked her cheek, noticing a slight blueish hue. Behind him was Professor Goodwitch and Peach, a bright smile on the latter's face. How could she be so energetic all the time? Then again, so was Ruby in every case.

"I'll be fine, just a bruise," Yang said until she hunched over. "Ow, okay maybe my thigh hurts just a bit." Jaune threw down his bag and pulled out a cold bag to apply to the area. She bristled at the cold but released a sigh.

"Good job students," Professor Goodwitch added to the conversation. "You showed excellent teamwork and proficient tactics when fighting the Beringel – I was confident that you would be able to silence the Grimm without our interference." It was nice to be praised by the professor... but what was such a strong Grimm like that wandering in the forest alone for? While not unusual, Beringels usually didn't stray far from their environments.

"What is that Weiss?" Ruby asked, poking at the pod. A stream of smoke rose from the ground where it landed. She almost forgot about Jaune's weapon.

The sound of gears caught everyone's attention, and the pod opened up. A large black case embroidered with gold trimmings sprung from the pod and landed next to Weiss's feet. She undid the locks and opened it to see herself surprised by the artistry that was behind the creation of the object. Call her envious, but the design was breathtaking.

"Is that?!" Ruby held her breath in excitement.

Within the case, was a rapier crafted specifically for Jaune. The pommel of the weapon had layers of yellow that spiral across the grip, while the knuckle guard was plated in white with sharp diamonds. The crossbar was also adorned in a bright yellow and arched in a crescent shape like the moon. The blade's sheen of metal glistened even in the night under the few spotlights that remained. Next to the rapier was the shield she requested, medium in size and plated on the round ends - in the middle, was the Schnee Dust Company logo of a snowflake against a light blue background.

Her sister did fine work.

"That's... my weapon? Weiss, how did you get it here?" Jaune asked, his mouth somewhat agape as he looked in awe at the rapier. At least he appreciated fine craftsmanship.

"You should feel lucky," Weiss said. "This weapon was handcrafted by my sister's personal blacksmith. Before we left Beacon I had the company have the weapon on standby to the closest depot so it could reach these coordinates." She explained it all in a haughty expression.

"This is amazing, look at the details, what kind of metal did they use I wonder?" Ruby sputtered as she hugged the weapon close to her chest.

"Ruby..." Yang drawled. The rambunctious girl stopped in her tracks and blushed, handing the rapier over to Jaune so he could test it. Even with all the money in the world, a weapon was only useful if its handler was apt.

"How does it feel?" Blake asked.

Jaune tilted the blade and looked over the weapon, a smirk pulling on his lips. "It's... light, somehow it feels natural to hold." He lifted it above his shoulders and thrust it, a whoosh cutting through the air.

"Like I said, it's been created with _you_ in mind – the shield is made of double layered titanium metal and infused with Dust to withstand some of the strongest Grimm. They say this material was used in the creation of an Arc shield." She caught the subtle flinch upon hearing his family name, but he smiled at both the rapier and shield. She was glad he was happy.

"Well children, I think that's enough excitement for tonight, would you not agree?" Professor Goodwitch announced from behind them, stifling a yawn with her palm. She was tired as well, the signs of exhaustion present in her expression.

"Are you kidding, I say bring them on!" Peach boasted, receiving a sigh from the professor.

"I can't believe you kids did that," Natsuhiko said in disbelief. The drunken mayor was now sober, tumbling not from intoxication but amazement. Instead of complaining about the damage like in their past experiences, the man wore a large grin and shook in joy.

"As you can see Mr. Natsuhiko, our students have been adequately trained for missions in the wildlands. I hope this earns the village's trust?" Weiss swore she could hear a smug satisfaction in her tone.

"I apologize for any rude behavior I displayed before," Natsuhiko said with a chuckle while scratching his right cheek. "If there's anything you all need, please let me know, I'll get right on it." So much for all that bravado he showed in the inn – he was like a whooped dog now.

"Weiss." Jaune said from behind, his tone gentle.

She turned on her heel and looked into Jaune's shimmering blue orbs. "What is it?" The way he stared at her, it was making her nervous.

"I don't know how to repay you, I really appreciate this." His smile somehow made her uncomfortable, it was embarrassing. She turned around and nodded, walking back over to Ruby and the others. Why did he have to be so nice?

"Don't think flattery is going to get you out of training!" Jaune's eyes widened a bit at her response, but a smirk eventually made its way on his face.

"Of course not."

"We need some help over here!" Weiss found her attention broken by the shout of one of the villagers. Several men in long raincoats approached where the tower fell earlier, hauling chunks of rubble into a pile. She remembered there were men in that tower when it was attacked.

"We should go help them." Jaune commented, placing his weapon back into the case. She wanted to protest but the others soon followed. She never even got a chance to tell Jaune what the weapon's name was... but it was valiant of him to think of others at such a time.

Weiss looked over the damage near the gate, it would take several days to repair. She was glad the damage was kept to a minimum – how was she going to find the time to help train Jaune during their mission? With a sigh, Weiss picked up the case and followed the professors, just hoping that the swamp lands weren't teeming with stronger higher class Grimm.

* * *

A numbing feeling in his fingers brought Jaune to take a break from removing any further debris. Most of the wreckage from the tower had been cleared out, and sad enough one body was discovered among the metal plates. He kept his emotions in check when some of the villagers lifted the body out, the corpse mangled and dripping a miniscule amount of blood from its dangling arms. This was the carnage the Grimm left in their wake, the same destruction that led to Tawny's death. The sound of metal dropping to the ground alerted him, and one of the men hurriedly pulled at the rubble in one spot.

"Over here, Donovan's still breathing!"

He rushed over past some of the villagers gawking in surprise and lifted a rock with the other man. Beneath a railing was a middle-aged man with short red hair covered in bruises and soot. A trail of blood was on his lips, and he coughed some dust out of his lungs. "Help them get him out Jaune, I should be able to treat him." Professor Peach urged him from the side, hauling a blue bag over her shoulder.

Within in a couple of minutes and the help of everyone else, they were able to retrieve the man from the broken tower. To say he was lucky was an understatement – his arms and legs were only bruised, and none of his bones seemed to be fractured. Had the debris pressed harder onto his stomach, his ribs or a piece of shrapnel might have punctured his heart. Professor Peach pulled out a few ice packs and some alcohol to treat the cuts on his neck, softly applying a cloth on the wounds. Unlike his treatment with Weiss, Peach didn't seem nervous at all. She was focused and careful with how she handled the man's condition.

"Jaune, can you get me some bandages?"

He reached into the bag and shuffled around several objects until he found a roll of yellow bandages. The professor wrapped the man's neck in a precise motion that didn't tighten his air supply. Another villager came over and lifted his head and the man's eyes fluttered open, taking in his surroundings in hesitation. "W-where am I?"

"You're alive you dumb idiot!" His friend said through tearful eyes. Jaune let out a sigh of relieve and smiled, glad that at least one person made it out alive.

"I can take care of the rest Jaune," The professor said, "Go with the rest of your team and get some much needed rest for tomorrow." He only nodded, taken back by her somber tone. She was usually so excited.

One of the barmaids led them upstairs into a spacious hallway that was lined with wooden doors with different numbers plastered on the front. Each room was situated with two beds and a dresser, so they decided to split up the group – however that meant one of the girls would have to stay with him. He looked over at Ruby who blushed at the proposal, sheepishly shaking her head. She was too embarrassed so it was only natural she would stay with Yang in the same room.

"I'm staying with Rubes obviously, so it's between you two." Yang told Weiss and Blake, poorly hiding a mischievous smile. Did they honestly think he would try anything? Not if he wanted to live.

"If it's that big of deal, I can stay with him," Blake proposed, letting out a tired sigh. Her amber eyes were drooping from exhaustion.

"Are you sure Blake?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah I'm sure, Jaune wouldn't dare try anything."

He guessed that was a veiled threat judging by how the other girls stared at him. Weiss conceded and handed him the black case that held his weapon – it was heavier than it looked, and the design was good to the eyes. "By the way Jaune, I forgot to tell you the name of the weapon."

"Oh what is it?!" Ruby excitedly asked.

"Brutalis Scutum... it was hard to decide."

He memorized the name, reciting it several times in his head as he imagined the rapier in his grip. Weiss didn't mention it, but he knew it was the same naming convention the Arc family employed. The way team RWBY dispatched the Beringel was amazing, their teamwork so flawless – he wanted that same level of strength to protect others. Thanks to Weiss and Blake, he was taking that first step. He really meant it when he told Weiss he wanted to repay her, but how could he? She was an heiress capable of getting anything she wanted. The only thing he could do was show results from his training whenever it began.

"Again, thank you Weiss." Yang cooed at his kind words.

"One more thing Jaune," The heiress pointedly said. "We'll begin your training first thing in the morning before we head out." So soon - would Professor Goodwitch even approve of that? He was going to answer, but Weiss hurried Ruby and Yang into their rooms, shutting the door with a decisive slam.

"That's her way of saying 'you're welcome'." Blake answered.

Their room wasn't large, the two beds only a couple of feet apart. The white sheets were clean enough, but the walls looked old, some of the paint dry and peeling. The dresser was big enough to fit most of their clothes, but he opted for Blake to use all of it. She didn't complain, tossing her outfits into the drawers in silence. For some reason being alone in a bedroom with Blake made him nervous. Tawny visited his room all the time back in school, and yet he never grew anxious then.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to change first in the bathroom." Blake asked, holding what looked like pajamas in her arms.

"Yeah sure, go ahead."

When Blake closed the bathroom door, he collapsed onto his own bed and looked up at the ceiling in thought. He wondered what kind of training Weiss had in mind – there was little time before they explored the area. The presence of both Professor Goodwitch and Peach brought him some comfort, especially after the appearance of a Beringel. The Grimm was so huge compared to the pictures in his textbook. Hunters were tasked with killing these large beasts everyday – could he really face something so big after training with Weiss?

"Bathroom's all yours."

"I'll be fine tonight," Jaune said, "Hey Blake... how did you guys become so amazing?" The Faunus titled her head at the question, placing her soaked outfit into the bathroom. Her expression remained stoic, but a slight grin popped up at the corner of her mouth.

"Envious of our skills?"

"To be honest, yes, I mean you guys were incredible." He caught the slight blush on her pale cheeks which she attempted to hide.

"Trust me, it took a lot of practice for us to be that coordinated – I'm sure you'll be able to fight that well one day." It was heartening to her say that, but he knew the truth. He would never be as strong as they were. Some people were just gifted with abilities that exceeded others, and in his case, being a Huntsman wasn't one of them.

"Do you think I'm making the right decision?" Blake shifted underneath her covers to face him, a questioning gaze settling on his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Training with Weiss, getting a weapon, even attempting to fight the Grimm – do you think this is all fool hardy? Maybe I should just be smart like the others and not risk my life." Blake only answered with silence, and he realized what he said was cowardly. He just wanted to be sure, to have some form of affirmation that his decision to help others in the battlefield was right.

"That's one of your weaknesses you know," Blake commented. "You're always putting yourself down – doubting your abilities and who you are as a person." She was right, he did that often. But it was hard not to question himself at every turn, his whole life was one big joke.

"You're right, I shouldn't second guess my choices." He crawled into his bed and relaxed on the comforter. Jaune actually found himself excited to train tomorrow – funny how nervous he was before to be alone with Blake in a room. Even when she was really cute in those black pajamas... what an embarrassing thought to have.

"Are you okay Jaune? You seem nervous."

"I-I'm completely fine Blake, not thinking anything indecent at all!" _Oh I'm such an idiot_.

Jaune thought he heard a muffled giggle from the other side of the room. He turned off the lights and closed his eyes, his body finally succumbing to exhaustion. He never really put much thought into Blake as a romantic interest, believing that she was too far out of his league. Yet wasn't that his whole problem? He questioned every thought that passed through his mind without considering his own feelings. He stirred under the sheets and looked at the black case his weapon was stored in. Brutalis Scutum... such an incredible weapon was now in his possession. Was this how Olive felt when she acquired Crocea Mors?

His sister... he already missed her. They hadn't spoken in a couple years until yesterday, but already he wanted to spend time with her. Would she proud of him – of the new weapon he now possessed? All he wanted was to make the Arc family remember his contribution to the world, to make his Father regret ever throwing him out.

Jaune clutched the sheets and pulled them closer, knowing that his Mother would be always watching his progress. It was a comforting thought.

* * *

To say the beds in the inn weren't comfortable was being too kind. Weiss was able to admit that she was pampered, but the rickety bedframes did horrors to her back. Their lodging was free so she couldn't really gripe – but she already missed her comfortable bed in Beacon. She was up earlier than the rest of her team in hopes of fitting in a little training with Jaune. Professor Goodwitch said they would start their patrol before noon, so that gave her a couple of hours to work with him. They would start with the basics, perhaps spar once or twice until he was tired. The appearance of the Beringel still troubled her

The mission was always to investigate reports of increased Grimm activity in the area, but she was expecting only lower class Beowulf's or a nest of Nevermore. Older and more powerful Grimm usually didn't go near human settlements unless they were backed up. The fact that a Beringel would just wander across the swamplands was odd. Professor Peach of Goodwitch would probably know more, but Jaune wouldn't be able to handle strong Grimm like that. She picked up her scroll and closed the door quietly, waiting in the hall for Jaune to appear.

A light yawn escaped from Weiss, her light blue eyes focused on the aging door. If Jaune slept in she would be furious, didn't he know that you should never keep a girl waiting? The door creaked opened and reveal the haggard appearance of the blonde, his bangs swept to the left. He must have just woke up and not even attempted to take a shower. She was going to put him through a rigorous workout anyway, so it was probably for the better. Jaune was carrying the black case and didn't have the rapier clipped to his waist.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Uh... yeah," Jaune slurred, "Sorry I overslept." Weiss released a sigh and beckoned him to follow her outside. The sun was barely visible against the horizon, the light slowly taking over the landscape.

A few minutes away from the village was a suitable opening in the swamp area that was cushioned by dried mud that could support their weight. She found the coarse ground was powerful enough to sustain any damage that might result from an extended spar. First he needed to learn some of the basics – he got a quick lesson in Beacon on some of the fundamentals of handling a rapier. Yes, in-depth explanation would be required, including a demonstration of sorts. She looked around for an object and spotted a medium-sized boulder that would suffice.

Jaune undid the black case and took out his weapons, gripping the shield close to his abdomen. "I'm glad you took us away from everyone, I don't want to embarrass myself in front of the others." He said with a chuckle.

"Think of this as your new training grounds."

"Seems... cozy." Weiss rolled her eyes at the comment and walked up to Jaune to correct his posture. He needed to work on his balance and poise - his body needed to relax while at the same time concentrate on his center.

"Today I'm going to teach you how to properly thrust and guard with a rapier – these are basic exercises and with the time we have its all I'll be able to teach you today." Jaune nodded in understanding and remained in position.

"Am I holding Brutalis right?"

"Yes, but when you are guarding, you would place your index and middle finger above the crossbar. With two fingers you'll have more strength in your defense, and using one allows for some reach in your attack." She explained. The confused look he displayed didn't go unnoticed, and she helped move his fingers to the appropriate spot.

"Like this."

"Oh, that make's sense," He tightened the rest of his fingers around the hilt and brought it up to guard. "What about thrusting?" _At least he's a fast learner._

"We'll go over different guards later, but for thrusting it's actually simple: point the tip of the blade of where you wish to engage the opponent, and then extend your body weight forward with a couple of steps. Usually in spars, you would attack the upper right side." He continued to nod along.

"Why learn to guard with my rapier if I use a shield?" Was it not obvious? Jaune wasn't dumb, he probably just wanted to ask for clarity.

"Because you won't always have your shield to defend yourself. Do you know how many times in the battlefield people lose their shields? Come here, I want show you something..." Weiss led him over to the boulder and took a relaxed position a couple of feet away from it.

"Now watch this." Weiss released a deep breath and focused her gaze at the boulder, pointing Myrtenaster near the center. She thrust the blade and stepped forward, the pressure from the attack splitting the rock into tiny pieces. She looked over at Jaune whose mouth was hanging open.

"Damn... I mean, that was incredible!"

"We're going to build you up until you're capable of shattering a boulder – easy enough? We'll start with one hundred thrusts and then go into detail about guards." Jaune blinked at her command, his grip loosening on the blade.

"One hundred?"

"Did I stutter? Get started, we don't have much time!" Jaune gulped and stood in the middle of the clearing, performing a thrust under Weiss's strict instructions. His grunts dampened the sound of any animals within the swamp, and all that mattered to her was getting him in shape. This was important to the team and for Tawny... especially for herself.

* * *

" _Burgundy, Sherry, what are your positions_?" A strained voice said over the communication equipment a young girl and man were wearing. They were designated codenames, replacements for everything they abandoned in their lives.

"We hear you Dr. Merlot, Pinot is almost done gathering the Grimm in this area." Sherry replied with a monotone voice, brushing away a strand of red hair from her emerald colored eyes. She was tired of these exercises.

" _Once he's done, report back to basecamp, it appears you'll finally be able to test your abilities in the field."_ She found herself excited to hear this, having nothing better to do in the long months of training.

"Possible targets sir?" She asked with a lilt.

 _"More than you can imagine."_


	12. Excursion in the Wilds

Not Even Aura Can Heal All Wounds

By Wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Twelve: Excursion in the Wilds

 **So after this chapter expect The heat to be posted up in the same week or weekend, these would have been up the week after my last two chapter spree but I fell ill, which sucked because I'm about to go on vacation in one week for RTX. You guys might notice the cover art which was done by an amazing fan, it's the cover of the book that inspired Jaune.**

 _Synopsis: After a major battle the night before with a Beringel in the village, Weiss briefly trains Jaune in the morning before they leave to survey the surrounding area for reports of increased Grimm activity._

* * *

Jaune never liked the sensation of cold water streaming down his body more than he ever did now. The brief training that Weiss pushed him through in the morning tensed his arm muscles to the point of exhaustion. By early noon Professor Goodwitch interrupted the session and ordered them to relax before they all ventured into the wilds. He almost forgot that just the night before Weiss and the others battled a Beringel in the drenching rain. Everything happened so fast he barely had time to register what to do in the next few hours.

By now everyone was gathering the necessary supplies for their reconnaissance in the nearby forest area. There were a few locations that Professor Goodwitch and Peach wanted to be surveyed. Since the appearance of the Beringel, both professors wanted all of them to remain in a group rather than separate and cover more ground. There was supposed to be increased Grimm activity around the region, but so far there hadn't been sightings of lesser known classes by the town. It was strange, that a Beringel would appear by itself without any other Grimm following close behind from the panicked emotions of the towns people.

He twisted the shower knob off and exited the wooden structure, grabbing a brown towel nearby. Blake was courtesy enough to allow him a few minutes in the shower before her, aware of his brutal training at the hands of Weiss that morning. Jaune dried himself and threw on his clothes and armor while sparing a glance at his weapon on the other side of the room. The black case stared back at him with its intimidating decoration, a reminder of its weight and potential abilities. He walked over and undid the latches, using both hands to lift the rapier out of its cushioning and smiled.

Brutalis Scutum, a marvel of a weapon. There was a chance he would be using it today – the blade somewhat frightened him, but everyone was supporting him. Granted he could only do so much with the brief exercises and spar Weiss and him were allotted. That was all he really wanted, to be able to fight alongside his friends and not be seen as some useless paper weight that could only help when the battle was over. Jaune gripped the handle of the rapier and thrust the point forward, the chopping of air blowing past his right ear. He couldn't help but be excited.

"Nice form." Blake commented from the door. Jaune flinched at the sudden observation and almost lost grip of his shiny new weapon, blushing in embarrassment.

"H-how long were you watching?"

She released a giggle and motioned with a nod. "Just long enough for you to daydream. Everyone is waiting downstairs when you're ready." He latched the rapier onto his belt and lifted up the shield with a grunt, placing it firmly onto his back.

"How's the weight?" Jaune rotated his shoulders and shifted his body weight until he was comfortable.

"Strange, but I'm fine," He noticed Blake's bow twitch slightly and smiled. "Did you guys have to wait long on me?" He checked his scroll and saw that it was close to noon, cursing his lack of attention.

"No, but we should hurry, we only have until nightfall." Jaune nodded and followed Blake downstairs, finding the inn just as noisy as it was last night. Being so close to lunch the bar was already filled with hungry patrons.

Professor Goodwitch's familiar posture and blonde hair were easy to pick out in the crowd, but what made him laugh was the look on her face. Natsuhiko was leaning against the wall and talking to the professor, a cocky smile on his face while the girls watched in amusement.

"Please remove yourself from my presence..."

"Look if you have someone already, I'm more man than you'll ever need professor." Natsuhiko attempted with a poor excuse of a pickup line.

"Sorry I'm late guys." Natsuhiko's attention was broken and Professor Goodwitch stepped forward to look over the placement of his weapon.

"I see you're ready... are you sure about this Jaune?" She whispered. Jaune smiled and looked past to see all of team RWBY looking on in anticipation. There was no backing out now, he came too far.

"Yeah I'm ready, I'll be fine." Professor Goodwitch let out a sigh and nodded, leading them outside despite the protests from Natsuhiko.

In contrast to the dark gray clouds and pouring down rain, the sun beamed down with a fury into his eyes when he stepped outside. The air was muggy and humid, and parts of the dirt still damp from last night when his shoes pressed down. He looked over at the collapsed tower and observed the mountain of rubble that was being cleared away by men with wheel barrels. Jaune admired the tenacity of the village to move on so quickly as if nothing happened the night before.

"You're not too tired are you Jaune?" Weiss asked, looking him over with a concerned gaze. Behind her Yang grew a mischievous smile.

"I heard the ice queen worked you pretty hard, got you all hot and sweaty." Yang teased with a chuckle. Weiss huffed at the accusation and walked away, leaving Ruby's sister to laugh at her quick blush.

"Jaune, you plan on using your weapon finally?!" Ruby inquired with excitement, kneeling down to look at the rapier with brightened silver eyes.

"Sort of, I mean yeah I want to use it, but not facing any Grimm would be ideal." He scratched the back of his neck and looked around for Professor Peach, finally noticing that she wasn't with the group.

"If you're looking for Professor Peach, she went ahead of us." Yang pointed toward the back side of the village where the gate stood. The village was fairly large, but the towering gates were easy to spot.

"We'll be joining her in just a moment, but first I want to lay down some ground rules before we traverse the wilderness." Professor Goodwitch said, raising her voice in an authoritative manner while adjusting her glasses.

"Here we go," Yang whispered to Blake with a grin.

"Because of the encounter last night with the Beringel, Professor Peach and I have decided that we should all remain in a group – however everyone will also remain in pairs during our trek." Jaune instinctively looked at Blake when the professor mentioned pairs.

"Remember children, this is a simple reconnaissance mission, there's no need to be rash and battle every Grimm we see. We are simply going to verify reports of increased activity near the border. Is that clear?" She looked at each student but focused her attention on team RWBY. Everyone nodded in understanding and followed the professor.

The rest of the village was generally what Jaune expected, houses laid out in rows with minimal decorations while open shops lined the cobblestone path. The noise of hammers and buzz saws were accompanied by the chatter of men and women passing by, their smiling faces a welcome sight. He noticed the occasional stares and laughter that some of the children and younger girls erupted in when they passed, leaving him to wonder if all Huntsman and Huntresses were treated with so much respect outside the walls. Usually he heard mixed stories.

Closer toward the back gate, he recognized the similar watch towers that remained intact in comparison to the wreckage at the entrance. By now he imagined they were almost for show if a large Grimm could snap them like toothpicks. Though he was confident the Professor wouldn't allow a repeated incident occur, not when it resulted in so many injuries. The villagers at top went rigid at their appearance and shouted for the gate to open, the creaking of metal drowning out the earlier noises.

"The gate closes at around nine, so make it back before then." One of the villagers shouted from above. That gave them about eight hours to look around.

As the gate slammed behind them, Jaune formed a knot in his stomach, the sound almost foreboding of what to expect in the wilds. He clenched his fists and followed the backs of his teammates, stepping over the pile of logs that were left outside by the gate. The amount of pine needles on the forest ground surprised him, and he found himself kicking it up to ease his tension. They followed a gravel path that the villagers created over the years to make a road, the professor wanting to find Peach before wasting too many hours.

The fauna of Vale was unique and varied, the sweet nectar of flowers assaulting his senses as they pushed through. He loved the bright leaves that fell from the trees in twisting motions that reminded him of the Forever Fall. It was the only beautiful memory that he could remember from that place, the rest filled with nightmares of Tawny's corpse and the Arachnids that poisoned Blake. There was so much to study and observe, especially for medicinal purposes.

"I'm sure you recognize a lot Jaune." Professor Goodwitch said from the front.

"Um, yes, we had to memorize particular ingredients that grew in the wild in case of emergencies." Yang snatched a flower from a branch and inhaled the yellow petals, her expression becoming relaxed.

"Well the flowers certainly smell nice." Yang said.

Jaune winced at the flower Yang picked up. "Uh, you probably shouldn't have sniffed that Yang, it's going to numb your senses for a minute." The blonde let out a squeak as she covered her nose, her tiny nostrils flaring and causing everyone to laugh at her clumsiness.

"Please refrain from doing anything irrational children," Professor Goodwitch said with a tired sigh, "This is still the wilderness." Yang continued to rub her nose while Blake let off a rare smile that Jaune found comforting.

The Path began to trail off further down the road, the gravel becoming less visible by the dirt and leaves that littered the trail. Professor Goodwitch said that Peach wasn't too far off – she was investigating one of the areas that the village scouts reported being teeming with Grimm at one point. He found it strange that so many Grimm could maneuver through Vale's borders without updated sightings. Anything large like a Beringel or Nevermore would be impossible not to see without attracting some raised eyebrows.

Maybe Professor Peach knew something? If she was married to Doctor Oobleck, she probably had a lot of experience when it came to field work and how Grimm interacted with their surroundings. He still couldn't figure out how those two got together, much less how she understood the man in his caffeine-induced state.

"Professor Goodwitch, I found something you should look at." Weiss called from ahead of the group.

Jaune huddled past Yang and Professor Goodwitch to look at what Ruby and Weiss' gaze was fixated on. When he approached his eyes widened a bit, glancing down at the hundreds of indentions that were left in the mud. Tracks lined the wooden open for hundreds of yards, the foliage that populated the area now flattened into the dirt. Messy piles of snapped branches littered the ground, and he could make out a splintered trunk that was ripped from its roots. It was mounting evidence that a stampede had recently gone through, the sight brining a chill to his spine as he imagined all the Grimm congregating.

"This is..." Jaune whispered in awe.

"Don't sit there and gawk," Professor Peach called out, surprising the group. "We got plenty of samples here to collect if you all help out." Peach sauntered over the tracks, careful not to stomp over the scene.

"Collect samples... like we did at the beginning of the semester?" Yang trailed off with her lips slightly parted, a horrific look appearing on her face.

"No complaining children." Professor Goodwitch added. Everyone except him let out a groan, and as he continued to look down at the ground and examine the tracks, Jaune realized something much larger than his personal woes was at stake.

* * *

A sigh of boredom escaped from Blake as she pushed the tip of the plastic container into the dirt, scooping up a few pebbles from the tracks. Professor Peach insisted that they collect anything that would give them a clue about the Grimm's unusual movements. Her mind was too preoccupied on Jaune's progress with the local heiress – In the morning she watched for a couple of minutes as she instructed him on how to handle a rapier. She was impressed with how quickly he adapted, surprised that he was unable to pick up swordsmanship from his father. Then again that was another issue entirely... he was still quiet when it came to his family.

Blake glanced over at the blonde and observed him. He balanced a few containers on a white tray that Professor Peach gave him while the rest of her team was still dirtying their hands. She was curious on what a few samples could actually tell the professor – you could only predict a Grimm's movement so much. Older Grimm usually avoided human settlements and large kingdoms unless they were traveling in large groups. She never really thought about what the Grimm thought, always passing them off as mindless beasts that fed on negative emotions. Perhaps that was somewhat ignorant of her – even if they were controlled by the sole emotion of killing humans, that didn't mean they were completely void of thought.

"How much longer do we have to do this?" Yang complained, directing the comment in her direction. She rolled her eyes but agreed that going at it for two hours seemed a little unnecessary. Her ears twitched at the sound of rustling a few yards away, and caught several birds flying away in the distance. She reached for Gambol Shroud and concentrated her gaze to the north. The noise went silent, but an odd smell that was similar to kerosene assaulted her nose, the pungent odor traveling into her nostrils. Jaune surprised her by placing a hand on her shoulder, a furrowed stare visible in his blue eyes. Kerosene wasn't unusual for a village, especially when used for lamps or torches, but what would a villager be doing out so far into the wilds? Hunting maybe... but that was done in groups.

"What is it?"

"I smell Kerosene nearby..." She ruffled her nose, the stench more bothersome then she thought.

"I can actually smell it too, it's pretty strong." Jaune noted, looking toward the brush for signs of people. Yang threw the rest of the containers aside near Professor Peach and cracked her knuckles.

"Finally some action," Yang said.

"I don't remember Mayor Natsuhiko mentioning that villagers were out here... children stay on your guard, it could be bandits." Out in the wilds bandits were quite common – pathetic groups of raiders that preyed on the less secured villages and towns that were away from Vale's cities.

"You all go ahead," Professor Peach said in an excited ramble. She gathered up the containers into her bag and looked back at Professor Goodwitch. "I need to secure these samples, I'll join you in a bit." Blake noticed Jaune's inquisitive expression, his eyes following her as she disappeared back the way they came. He never admitted it, but she imagined that Jaune admired the eccentric professor.

Jaune undid his rapier and shield and got into position behind her, steadying both feet so they were placed firmly into the dirt. She could tell he was anxious by the sweat trailing down his neck – the last thing they needed was for their medic to be taken out instantly. "Yang and I will go scout up ahead, if that's okay Professor Goodwitch."

"I'm afraid it's not," She curtly responded. "We'll all investigate together, no matter how time consuming the ordeal is." Yang let out grumble and kicked aside a rock on the ground in frustration.

"I'll lead the way then." Blake said.

Professor Goodwitch let out a sigh and nodded. "Very well, but we'll be close behind." Her partner's lilac eyes brightened up and she cocked Ember Celica.

Although the trek was slower with additional people, they were drawing closer to the smell. Blake brushed aside a leaf that grew up to her shoulders and grimaced when she noticed that she stepped onto a clump of moss that stuck to her low-heel boots. The origin of the scent led them out into an opening with grassy knolls that stretched across the landscape. If she looked close enough, she could make out more tracks hidden by the tall grass that danced against the breeze.

The opening seemed to stretch for a few hundred yards until it was separated by a sea of large oak trees. The scenery would be beautiful if not for the rank odor that accompanied it. In the middle of the field there was a fallen tree that was snapped in half, the splinters from the trunk pointed upward like raised swords on the battlefield. She thought it possible that lightning might have bisected the tree if not for the hundreds of Grimm tracks in the ground. While initially breathtaking to look at, something about the openness of the area made her anxious, like they were exposed.

Ruby stood close to Weiss and gripped her scythe, her silver eyes darting back and forth for any slight movements. When she and the others arrived in the middle, she located a wet trail that led off into several directions from the patch of dirt they stood on and into the grass.

Blake kneeled down and caressed her finger into the soil where it was moist, bringing it up to her nose and wrenching back at the kerosene. "This is strange."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"These lines... someone purposely dripped kerosene around the feel in erratic motions." Her amber eyes widened in fear at the realization of what she discovered.

"Professor Goodwitch!" Blake called.

Everything was thrown into chaos after that. She heard the familiar malice-filled roar of an Ursa Major in the distance that reverberated through the air. Blake caught the sight of a lone spark fall onto the trail of kerosene and jumped back, pushing Yang along with her as a sea of flames erupted across the grassy hill. The fire spread quickly and followed the trails to form a maze, essentially separating them into groups. She knew it was all intentional, but no Grimm could have set this up, and she was beginning to doubt the bandit theory. Could the White Fang somehow be involved?

"Jaune," Blake coughed as the smoke grew, "Are you there?" She narrowed her eyes and tried to make out the silhouette approaching her.

She heard the boy's cough and relaxed, seeing Jaune emerge with a gloved hand over his mouth. "I can barely see you Blake, is Yang with you?"

"Don't worry," Yang accompanied them with a similar hack, "Just trying to breathe and survive!" She could always tease even in the toughest of situations.

"Is there any way out?!"

It was almost impossible to see through the smoke, and the heat increased by the second, cinders flying through the air and the grass under them catching flame. They would all die of asphyxiation if they didn't hurry – and the source of that roar still bothered her as well.

"Yang!" Jaune called out, catching Yang's collapsing body. She was wheezing and her eyes were shut. Jaune attempted to check her pulse while he coughed.

Before she could panic even more, a mist of ice washed through the wall of flames behind them, chilling her entire form and creating an open space for them to breathe again. Blake darted her head backwards and smiled at Weiss' appearance, the heiress preparing another glyph to conquer the flames. She brought her attention back to Yang and saw Jaune performing CPR on her body. Everyone watched in fright as he pushed on Yang's chest with careful thrusts so as not to rupture bones in the process. Eventually she coughed, her chest heaving up and down on Jaune's lap.

"Yang you're ok!" Ruby cried out, her bright smile accompanied by a few stray tears. She encompassed Yang into a hug as the blonde tried to catch her breath.

"Miss Xiao Long, are you alright?" Professor Goodwitch asked, her eyes scanning the area. Blake was taken back by the woman's sharp aura, the professor obviously still on guard after the sudden attack.

A low growl interrupted their celebration of Yang's recovery, and from behind the walls of ice that Weiss created with her semblance, a horde of Beowulf's and creeps emerged. Further back with her vision, Blake spotted some Ursa lying in wait – yet the Ursa Major she heard was still nowhere to be seen. Jaune stood from where he was aiding Yang and pointed his rapier forward, taking a few steps back to where Weiss and Professor Goodwitch stood. She would have begun the assault, but... the Grimm did nothing but snarl and watch with furor.

"Grimm can be very obedient if you train them correctly." A feminine voice said.

Blake would have noted her attractiveness if not for the venom in her soft voice. A girl around their age walked forward between two Beowulf's and petted the closest one by her. She had elbow-length red hair that glistened with orange highlights. The girl's emerald eyes were bright and fascinating, accented by her perfect features and tiny plump lips.

The girl wore a strange outfit that contrasted her appearance; a white undershirt that was covered by a black leather jacket that's front pockets were chained, and a low hanging white skirt that hugged her petite form. Streaks of purple lines were etched on the fabric of the skirt, bringing an unusual clash of colors to her outfit. She took careful steps in her red boots and brushed her shoulder, a frown overtaking her model-like features.

"Thankfully I've found them something to play with."


	13. A Cold Whisper

Not Even Aura Can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Thirteen: A cold whisper

 **So in unrelated news to this particular story, The Victim has gained majority votes to retool it, which I am glad is the outcome. I will probably dish out the first chapter of Dating the Professor's son before the revamp of Victim comes out however. Also my profile has been updated to show an estimated timeline of what stories will be next when one series finishes. The Heat probably will go for 30 to 35 chapters with how everything has been planned out.**

 **Now this wasn't my best chapter, I'm still working on fight scenes and juggling some grammar issues. That and I was busy with work, etc.**

 **Not Even Aura is probably going to go on for a while, I have several events planned out for this story so, strap in and prepare for that. Once The Heat is finished, Test-Run, a Nora and Jaune story will take its place. The Revamp of When a Man Meets a Robot is still going to happen as well, I haven't forgotten it! And One Track Mind... I still haven't decided, I don't want to overwhelm myself.**

 _Synopsis: During the patrol outside the village gates, Blake and the others are surrounded by flames until she is rescued by Weiss. The gang is introduced to a strange female that is able to stand in front of the Grimm as if they were pets._

"Children back away!" Professor Goodwitch commanded.

Jaune didn't hesitate, tugging Yang's left arm and forcing her back with him behind Professor Goodwitch. Blake and Weiss did the same, allowing them enough space between the Grimm and the mysterious woman. The Grimm that surrounded them didn't move, only their red beady orbs following every step. Professor Goodwitch used her semblance and tore chunks of dirt and rock from the ground, flinging several pieces toward some of the larger Ursa behind the woman. Some were crushed by the weight of the boulders, guts splattering onto the field.

Yet she and the other Grimm didn't move.

"Was that supposed to impress us...? They won't attack unless I command them to do so." She let out a soft chuckle and flicked back a strand of tinted orange hair.

He tried to discern what the weapon attached to the back of her waist was, the metal glistening off the bright sun. But how could she _command_ the Grimm? That was impossible... at least from what he read. There was never any record of an individual in the history of Remnant that could bend the will of the Grimm to their deeds. Jaune glanced over to Blake to make sure she was okay, her fists tightening around Gambol Shroud's hilt. She was probably just as confused by the statement.

"Who are you?" Professor Goodwitch demanded, slapping the riding crop into her open palm.

"Sherry, like the wine." She cooed.

The girl, now known as Sherry, reached behind her waist and unfolded her weapon. The sound of gears turning felt like music to his ears, and with awe he watched as the blade shifted into the form of a glaive. The shaft was wrapped in a web of thorns, and the blade was curved forward much longer than usual. At the end of the pommel was a short chain, with two blades dancing against the wind. Jaune was positive that Sherry was around their age based on her bright and healthy complexion. He wouldn't lie to himself and say the girl wasn't attractive, especially if she dropped that sneering glare.

"Do you like what you see?" Sherry taunted. He dropped his gaze and blushed, imagining Blake's look of admonishment from afar.

"Sherry is it?" Professor Goodwitch questioned. "You claim to have the ability to control Grimm... so why are you stalling?" Sherry's glare vanished, replaced in an instant with a grin that split open her face.

"Touché Professor Goodwitch," Jaune wasn't the only person that caught that – Sherry, this girl, knew Professor Goodwitch by name.

Now, most people would have balked at that little assumption. Professor Goodwitch was a decorated Huntress with a plethora of accolades. However she wasn't one for the public spotlight, leaving public affairs to Headmaster Ozpin or Doctor Oobleck. Still, her name was known throughout Vale. No, he was uneasy because of how Sherry looked at him. She knew who all of them were, at least that was what he believed... maybe it was a stretch. The bigger question; who was she stalling for?

"You know who we are, don't you?" He decided to ask.

Sherry's eyes lit up in surprise, giggling at the sudden question. "Our reports were right about you Mr. Arc, very cunning indeed." He was right, which meant they knew all along they would head down this route.

"Children be at ease, Professor Peach is more than capable of protecting that village." Professor Goodwitch assured. He wanted to believe it, but there was no telling how many were out there, or if they all possessed the same ability as Sherry. Was it really possible to control the Grimm?

"Don't be so surprised," Sherry barked. "Of course we checked you guys out, you rushed into our nest without permission." She continued to pout.

"That means you're the one responsible for the increase in Grimm activity." Blake stated, moving up a few inches. Her amber eyes narrowed at the glaive.

"Ding, ding, one point for Miss Belladonna!" Blake grimaced at the childish response.

He didn't know much about mental health, it wasn't really a field he pursued in school. But Sherry appeared unstable; the off-key remarks and disregard for her surroundings, and of course the lack of empathy. Still, he wasn't a professional so most of his conjecture was just that.

"So if we take you down, the Grimm will be a cinch to defeat." Yang retorted, slamming her fists together. Ruby added a cheer in agreement.

"Hmm, you're all so boring. I'll take on Jaune, I'm most curious about him!" Sherry declared in glee, extending her left arm into the air.

He felt both Weiss and Blake direct their attention to him, the heiress darting over to his side as Sherry snapped her fingers. The Grimm around them went rigid, freezing in place like a model for a lavish portrait. Nothing made a single sound in the clearing, the chirping of any insects going silent from the tension. Jaune made an audible gulp and stepped back, crunching a leave under his shoes. Sherry dropped all emotion from her giddy personality, her eyes becoming dead like a fish. Her lips parted and a low whistle sounded, then becoming a screeching echo that ripped through his eardrums.

The Beowulfs charged forward with a ferocious growl, lining up in pairs to ambush Ruby. The young scythe wielder used her semblance and cut through the pack, hacking off heads and limbs within seconds. More appeared in their place, overwhelming Ruby with their numbers.

Yang launched over to assist her sister until she was interrupted by hordes of Creeps diving underground and launching up to attack her. Ember Celica quickly disposed of the first wave, but like her sister, they wouldn't let up, keeping her distracted from Jaune and the others. She fired a couple more shells at the ground, but the Creeps kept moving at such a pace that she would have to engage them physically.

Professor Goodwitch raised her crop and focused her semblance to create a wall of dirt around Jaune and Blake. It wouldn't act much as shielding, but it gave her enough time to draw away Sherry and her Grimm. Weiss followed up by directing a mist of ice onto the protective wall, hardening the patches. Several Beowulf and Creeps attempted to penetrate the surface, only to be tossed away by the professor with ease. Sherry didn't flinch from the display of her power, casually walking forward past the charging Grimm that Goodwitch continued to dispose of. Her opponent was difficult to read, a child with an unlimited supply of monsters at her command.

"No, No, this won't do," Sherry complained. "You're in my way old hag!" Goodwitch dodged to the right, her cape shredded by the enormous stinger of a Death Stalker that materialized from the shadows.

"If you think a single Death Stalker can stop me!" Goodwitch yelled, taking hold of the Grimm's stinger with her semblance and thrusting it through the beast's back.

"Who said anything about just one?"

The ground shook from the stomps of an Ursa Major that crawled up from behind, the Grimm letting out a loud bloodthirsty roar, drool seeping from its razor sharp fangs. Lesser Ursa joined its side in the chorus, and from the other side she could hear the pittering of insect-like legs from more Death Stalkers. This girl knew that simple Grimm would be no match against her abilities, so she planned to overwhelm her like the students. A flawed yet intelligent tactic. Goodwitch jumped in the air and used a mound of dirt to give her proper footing, flipping over the Ursai with ease.

She would have to trust her students to fight off the Grimm and survive.

* * *

Weiss knew exactly what Sherry intended, to pick off their weakest member and distract them. So far it was working, but she ensured that Blake and Jaune would be protected in the shell Professor Goodwitch created. She was still on edge, bothered by the fact that none of the Grimm were advancing on her position, all of them too busy with the others to care. Only this girl – Sherry, crept toward her. She observed her subtle movements; the way she positioned her palm on the shaft to twirl it above her shoulders.

She bent her knees and leveled the tip of Myrtenaster at her opponent's chest. Her enemy would have a long reach, so straight thrusts would be problematic, and there was no way of her predicting Sherry's speed. Sadly, Weiss knew she would have to make the first move to gauge the girl's strength. The bitch was cocky enough anyway, so it would only be fair to knock her down a peg or two. She took one last glance at where Jaune and Blake were and dug in her heels into the dirt, activating a glyph to increase her speed.

Another Glyph circled around Myrtenaster, and she released a flurry of icicles at Sherry to see how the girl would react. With grace the girl deflected each shot with barely any effort, releasing a bored sigh. Weiss stabbed the rapier into the ground and froze it, creating a slippery trail for the girl across from her. Sherry Guffawed at the attempt, but she wasn't done. With Ruby too busy, she pulled out a vial of red Dust and tossed it onto the frozen ground. The materials reacted and produced a large mist that rose into the clearing, spreading all the way to the forest.

"Another parlor trick?" Sherry's tone became sharper.

The mist was more than just for her benefit. While it might not sustain for long, it might give the others enough time to dispose of the Grimm in the confusion. Unlike Blake's uncanny ability to see in the dark, her vision was offset by the thick fog. She closed her eyes and concentrated, listening for the faintest of noises even against the shouting and gunshots from her team. Winter always taught her to leave distractions in the back of her mind and focus on the enemy in front of you. This girl did not scare her, and she was confident that Jaune could hold his own if it came down to it.

The chain attached to the pommel of Sherry's glaive rattled to her left, allowing her to jumped back and watch as the air cut in front of her. She caught the glint of the blade and thrust forward, only hitting the mist. Weiss kicked her left leg back and made impact with metal, the Glaive nicking some exposed skin. She retreated back and checked the wound to see it was barely a cut. But how did that girl know where she was? Was she making some noise she was unaware of? The chain swung again in the distance, as if Sherry was taunting her.

"Quit hiding Bitch." Sherry hissed.

Something was wrong, Weiss couldn't place it, perhaps the venom in the girl's voice. She looked down and noticed the grass and frozen leaves on the ground... they made noise when she crushed them. Yet how was she supposed to fight without her heels on - like some barbarian?

"Weiss, are you there?!" Ruby called out in the mist, fire ringing alongside her partner's childlike shout. "I can't see anything!" _That was the point doofus..._ Weiss thought to herself. She was beginning to think the mist was working against her desired plan.

A chill air encompassed her face as the mist blew past her, the area becoming visible again. She darted her eyes to the sky and caught sight of a Nevermore above, the Grimm flapping its wings to make the clearing spotless. Her observation was cut short by the charging form of Sherry, the glaive coming down hard. She parried the strike and riposted only for her thrust to miss its mark.

Sherry's feet skidded against the dirt, mud flying past her glossy hair. "Don't think you can all hide from me." Sherry said in a mumble.

Weiss dodged the aerial projectiles that sprung from the Nevermore's wings, one of the feathers ripping her jacket. She was too distracted to notice Sherry close in, the pommel of her glaive smashing into her abdomen. She felt her body fling like a puppet across the ground and land next to the shell, the aura taking most of the damage. Weiss quickly clambered to her feet and blocked another thrust from the glaive, the blade inching toward her left cheekbone.

"I haven't even used my semblance yet." Sherry bragged with a glower, her face eerily devoid of any emotion. Weiss kneed her in the stomach and activate a blue glyph, launching a blast of ice into Sherry directly.

"Same here," Weiss answered with a pant, ice spreading across Sherry's body, "You shouldn't have underestimated me." The Nevermore above was her next target. She noticed the shell that encased Jaune and Blake was slightly cracked, but she could reinforce it.

Her breath hitched, and Weiss found her entire body frozen in place. She knew her mouth was open, but her lips wouldn't move know no matter how much her brain screamed for them to do so. The sound of ice shattering caused a shiver even if she couldn't move, knowing that Sherry escaped.

"Can't move... that's because I flashed my eyes," Sherry brushed off chips of ice from her shoulders and walked up to Weiss' rigid body. "My semblance, it allows me to freeze my opponent in place when my eyes change color for a second. You looked at me before you turned around."

Sherry pulled out a knife from her right foot and juggled it, placing the tip against her palm. "Since you can't speak right now, I want give you a taste of what I'll do to your friends inside." Weiss tried to look away, but her eyes remained focus on the blade.

Whatever demented personality she had, it caused her to press the blade into her skin and cut across the palm. Blood dripped across her fingers, and with a laugh she licked it up, savoring the taste.

* * *

Who knew how many times he pounded against the dirt and ice in the darkness, pleading to escape and help the others. Blake just sat on the other side of the so-called prison with Gambol Shroud still unsheathed. That girl was just trying to scare them, to cause panic and separate them, and it was working. She probably bore no actual interest in him – with them both trapped inside, she reduced their numbers and chances against the Grimm outside. But he also knew that wearing out his knuckles would get them nowhere fast.

A girl who talk to Grimm... he still couldn't believe it. Wasn't this just supposed to be a routine patrol mission? He released a sigh and looked over to where he thought Blake was sitting. Jaune couldn't fathom how she remained calm while her friends were outside fighting for their lives. His armor clanked as he sat down on the grass, the sound of Blake's light breathing filling the darkness with sound. He was amazed by how much sound could be muffled from within, only hearing some occasional pops outside.

"It's okay to be nervous." Blake said, finally breaking the ice.

"Really, because I think its selfish to just seal us in like a bunch of children." Blake said nothing, yet he knew how hypocritical that sounded.

"Your frustration is noted, but we're stuck in here."

"I just... want to help," Jaune hesitated, "But I'm more concerned about that Grimm-talking girl." Blake shifted.

"Do you think it's her semblance?" Semblance... it was possible maybe, but Grimm didn't have aura, so how would the two correlate?

"No, something like that would have been widely recorded." Blake mumbled in agreement.

A crack spread on the wall opposite of Jaune, a web-like arc leading into the ceiling. Light trickled into the prison and allowed him to see Blake's stoic expression, the Faunus standing up to examine the crack. Jaune peeked over her shoulder, watching a torrent of dust fall from the crack like a waterfall. Whatever force was being applied, the shell wouldn't maintain much longer, at least not from his strength. He gently pushed Blake aside and dug the end of his shield into the wall, using it like a crowbar to peel off layers.

"That will take hours." Blake stated.

"I'm not doing anything else."

She released a sigh and grabbed him by the shoulder with a rough grip, twisting him around so he was forced to look at her. "I can get us out of here." Jaune lifted his shield from the wall and blinked a few times.

"You can, then let's go." Could she have let them out this whole time? That look in her eyes gave it away, she was scared to let him fight.

"Yes... but Jaune, I don't know if you're prepared for this. I never trained you, hell, Weiss never intended for you to fight another person so soon. Do you honestly believe you can kill someone?" His grip on the hilt loosened. She wasn't talking about his readiness to kill Grimm.

"I don't know," He rapidly answered. "Maybe I can't, it's not in me to hurt someone... but I won't sit in the dark contemplating right or wrong while my friends are outside fighting for their lives." Jaune couldn't see it in the darkness, but a grin tugged at Blake's lips.

"Step aside then."

Jaune stepped back and watch Blake's weapon shift into its pistol form. She aimed at the center of the crack and fired several shots, the dirt around the central point falling apart. When dust and smoke faded, she kicked the wall, making a sizable hole for them to exit from. He would have smiled in satisfaction but Blake's amber eyes widened in fear. She became a blur and rushed forward, her sheath blocking a thrust from a knife that Sherry held. Both girls were pushing against each other in front of Weiss' frozen body.

"Weiss, are you okay?" She collapsed into his arms, breathing heavily from the strain it took on her body. He could feel the sweat on her clammy arms and glanced over to see Blake push the girl back.

"There's too many of you!" Sherry yelled.

 _"Sherry, enough dawdling, the others needs you."_ Sherry grunted in disapproval, but returned a subtle acknowledgment in the transceiver – Dr. Merlot was not very patient.

The Nevermore that blanketed the sky flew away, leaving a trail of feathers. Some of the Grimm around them twitched, hesitating as they were cut down by Ruby and Professor Goodwitch. They were reacting to the girl, whose face twisted in anger and revulsion. Her glaive collapsed back into its original form, Sherry placing it onto her waist and turning away from Blake with lost interest.

"Where are you going?!" Blake had no intention of letting her escape.

She threw Gambol Shroud and held on to the ribbon, the ballistic chain scythe missing Sherry by a few inches. The blade ripped the top of her outfit and exposed some of her skin, revealing a strange parasite on the front of her neck that writhed. Sherry's face was overcome with rage, covering the insect with her right arm and escaping into the forest, her route aided by a group of Ursa that appeared.

There was no point in pursuing any further, and Blake glanced back to catch Jaune staring down a lone Beowulf. She watched in heated anticipation, his footwork balanced as Weiss instructed earlier in the day. Blake caught the beads of sweat trailing down his brow and the faint breathing – he was nervous, though if she helped, Jaune would never learn. The Beowulf charged forward, swiping its left paw at Jaune. He lifted the shield and blocked it, thrusting forward with his rapier and stabbing the Grimm in its neck in one clean motion.

"I... I did it." He whispered, looking down at the dissipating corpse.

Blake shot another Beowulf that jumped from behind, saving him at the last second. "Just check your surroundings, don't ever let your guard down... but good job." He nodded in excitement. _Still... that thing on Sherry's neck, what the hell was it? Some type of Grimm?_ Blake mulled.

"Where's Professor Goodwitch?" Weiss asked.

An explosion occurred several feet from where they stood, and from the smoke Goodwitch appeared unfazed. Jaune only caught a few scratches around her face, not that he would ever call her out on it. Once Sherry had left most of the Grimm receded, the rest taken out by Ruby and Yang in a few minutes. The biggest threats were taken care of by the Professor, which according to Yang was the most badass event she ever witnessed. His mother always told him that Glynda was quite formidable.

"That's the last of them." Yang let out a whistle and collapsed on the partially burnt grass.

"Who was that," Ruby mused aloud, "I saw you talk to her Blake." Weiss walked over to Jaune and examined his rapier, letting out a hum of approval.

"She called herself Sherry," Weiss said. "Other than that, we know nothing, except that she somehow controls the Grimm around her.

"No I have a theory." Jaune looked over at Blake.

"I always knew you would make a great detective Blakey, of course you could never solve anything without so much curiosity... you could even say-"

"Don't even finish that joke." Weiss interrupted.

"Miss Belladonna, did you notice something about that girl?"

She pointed to the top of her neck, trailing her collarbone slowly. "Before she escaped there was some... insect-type creature attached to her neck. I don't know how else to describe it." Professor Goodwitch nodded, though her eyes widened a bit at the description.

"Do we continue our patrol, Professor Goodwitch?" Weiss asked.

"No, we should return to the village and make our report. I believe we have an idea now of why so many Grimm are gathering in this region." Jaune looked over to Blake to see her observing some metal piece on the ground.

"Did you find something?"

"I'm not sure, it has some insignia on it..." She twisted the piece around her fingers, looking closer at the symbol: A cube with three points and what looked like the letter M in the middle.

"Professor Goodwitch, I think Blake found something." Blake stood from the ground and handed the metal piece over to the professor, immediately noticing her expression scrunch up in distaste.

"Merlot Industries..."


	14. Industrial Bloody Evolution

Not Even Aura Can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Chapter fourteen: Industrial Bloody Evolution

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

 **I'm proud of myself for consistently delivering new chapters of my other new story, which will continue as I try to find time to restructure** _ **The Victim**_ **. RWBY vol.5 is coming out and I'm so hyped, it's always invigorating in a creative sense when new episodes come out.** _ **The Heat**_ **has about two arcs left before its completed, so that will be the next story I actually complete, and then onto a new one!**

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By the time they made it back to the village the sky took on an orange tint, the sun descending behind the large mountains that overlooked the region. Like clockwork patrons swarmed the inn and indulged their hard work into the bottle, the waitresses rushing back and forth with swaths of food on their plates. Jaune enjoyed the laid back atmosphere it presented, a snapshot of how regular people went about their lives regardless of the Grimm threat that lurked over the walls.

Professor Goodwitch led them pass the noise and into the back of the inn courtesy of Natsuhiko. She demanded they have privacy, which he was happy to deliver after a swift kick to his lower parts. Since his adoptive mother looked at the emblem Blake picked up in the forest she was distressed, remaining silent toward most of their questions. Whatever Merlot Industries represented, it was enough to put Professor Goodwitch at unease.

The sense of the unknown somewhat frightened him.

"Alright children, I need you to sit down, you're about to receive a brief history lesson." No one challenged the order, finding seats in the ragged meeting room that Natsuhiko lent them.

"Is this about Merlot Industries?" Blake asked.

Professor Goodwitch nodded. "Yes, it was a company years ago that you might not be familiar with." She pulled out a flat device and projected an image onto the wall.

A dossier on a Doctor Merlot pixelated on the wall, many of the lines in the columns redacted with black ink. The profile was blurry, yet his face was clear enough to discern. He looked to be an old man in his sixties with messy gray hair that matched the color of his beard and long mustache. A high collared gray jacket hid the red shirt underneath, but what made him stand out to Jaune, was the glowing red eye. He didn't know this man but it gave him an unhuman-like presence.

"This is Doctor Merlot," Professor Goodwitch stated. "He was the founder of Merlot Industries and a distinguished scientist when Mountain Glenn was made into a settlement." Jaune perked up at the name, remembering something in his textbook a few years back about a mountain.

"Mountain Glenn was a failed settlement correct?" Blake asked, her eyes focusing on Dr. Merlot.

"That is correct, it was an expansion in the southeast of Vale. The kingdom wanted to reach beyond the walls and boasted a detailed transportation system below the planned territory... yet that didn't stop the Grimm from invading. The incursions were light, but eventually Mountain Glenn was overwhelmed, and people were forced to evacuate." Professor Goodwitch's expression turned sympathetic.

"So, everyone got away, right?" Jaune asked with hesitance.

Professor Goodwitch paused. "No, most of the survivors evacuated into the tunnels until help could arrive from the Vale military. Overnight the Grimm swooped in and killed most of the people." Jaune blanched at the reveal - so many people cut down for nothing.

"I'm familiar with Dr. Merlot," Weiss revealed. "My father use to do business with him until the company went under – but how is he connected to this story?" Professor Goodwitch let out a sigh and turned off the projection.

"Listen to me children, what I'm about to tell you classified. Against my better judgment and without Headmaster Ozpin's permission, I choose to tell you this because of what you observed in the forest." Classified information? This was getting to be too much for him.

"Wait, really, that's awesome!" Ruby and Yang both chimed in.

Jaune chuckled at their enthusiasm yet faltered at learning anything beyond his scope. Since their fight with that strange girl, he was shaken, almost in awe of her strange power. This... wasn't what he signed up for, not saving the world from mysterious forces. Yes he wanted to save people's lives, and if he could fight to do it by all means, but he wasn't a hero, not like Blake and the others. Maybe it made him sound hypocritical in the end, wanting strength and not using it when it really mattered. Still, he was years behind them.

"Girls this is no laughing matter. You're already making me reconsider my position – this cannot leave the room!" Yang and Ruby shrunk at her authoritative shout.

"Don't worry Professor, I'll make sure they stay in line." Weiss assured her, directing a glare in their direction. Blake let out a sigh and relaxed in her wooden chair, if it was even comfortable.

"Very well... Dr. Merlot was a brilliant man, and a leading scientist into the study of Grimm. But this fascination of his turned into obsession, and Headmaster Ozpin warned of his attempts to go further. Personally I and the staff were not fans of his experiments or what he believed in, but our hands were tied as his research did benefit Vale at times. Sadly, when one is consumed by the pursuit of knowledge, they can forget their humanity in the process." From what the professor described, he would have liked to meet him, or at least glean some information about the Grimm if possible.

"So what happened, he go insane or?" Yang interrupted.

"I'm getting to that," She tersely responded. "Merlot Industries was originally in the business of genetics and working on artificial intelligence, yet Dr. Merlot wanted to push this further, setting up a facility in Mountain Glenn. This is when his practice took a dark course... he was experimenting on Grimm and making them bend to his will, at least temporarily." He didn't understand, why would someone want to control them? They had no aura and lived only to kill humans and feed off their negative emotions.

"Wait a minute," Blake finally broke her silence. "How can the Vale government not have imprisoned this man for his illegal research?" Professor Goodwitch said nothing, looking away in embarrassment.

"That's because no one knew about it... not until the Grimm invaded. Dr. Merlot, attracted Grimm to Mountain Glenn for more specimens. I believe you know the rest." One man was responsible for the loss of thousands of people?

"And you think he's developed some way for these people to communicate with the Grimm?" Weiss asked.

"Correct, which is why our mission is done." Blake snapped her neck to look at the professor, a look of complete disbelief overtaking her expression.

"We're just leaving? What about the people?!"

"Miss Belladonna, don't think I take this situation lightly, none of you are prepared for this caliber of opponent." Blake didn't find the answer satisfactory, gritting her teeth in a show of anger.

"So we just abandon the village like that?"

"Nothing would be _abandoned,_ but I would send professional Huntsman to come and do the job. This is too much for Beacon students." Blake huffed at the answer and whispered under her breath.

She walked out of the room and almost slammed the door, not taking notice of Professor Peach. He would have chased after her, but there were too many questions to ask. Ever since the encounter in the forest he wanted to speak with Professor Peach and get some insight.

"Well someone is pissed." Peach stated with a giggle.

"Miss Belladonna is not happy that we are leaving." Peach nodded in affirmation and cleared the table in the corner of the room.

"Professor, I wanted to speak with you."

"Oh yeah, what's up?"

He found it amazing yet baffling that Professor Peach could just ignore the tension in the room. "It's... kind of private actually." Peach let out a chuckle and smacked the table with some odd polyhedral device.

"Ah ok, well that's gonna have to wait for a bit," Peach quickly answered. "Glynda, I might have some good news, I heard about your little run-in with those Grimm-Talkers." Everyone looked at the professor dumbfounded.

"Grimm-Talkers, what are you talking about, and how do you know about?" Peach fiddled with the device on the table, each point lighting up in a bright red color that projected a sequence on the ceiling.

"Oh... guess I should have told you earlier, one of those creeps tried to ambush me in the forest while I was gathering samples. Said his name was Burgundy, weird, made me thirsty, anyway he tried to take me down with a few Ursa and a Death Stalker but probably underestimated me." Professor Goodwitch's mouth was agape.

"You fought him, what happened?!" Yang asked in excitement.

"I chopped his arm off, didn't seem too happy about that." Yang burst out into laughter and slapped her knee, while Professor Goodwitch shook her head in disapproval. She was truly a character for the history books.

"You... killed him?" Ruby asked, her expression darkening.

Despite her skillful use of a scythe, Ruby was innocent in all aspect of the word. He could never imagine the girl cutting someone down, and in that they were alike. Jaune was still not sure he could ever raise his sword against someone, even with all the training Weiss planned to give him. But these people, they were a real threat, and if they tried to kill one of his friends, or even Blake... could he do it?

"Oh don't give me that look, I didn't kill him, besides it was self-defense! The only reason I've been nonchalant about the whole thing is because I have something really important to tell you guys!" She continually pointed to the ceiling with a slight twitch.

On the ceiling was an image of what looked to be a strange bug-like creature. Its face bore four red eyes like those of the Grimm, while its shell was completely white and covered in strange markings. The six insectoid legs reminded him of the Arachnids that poisoned Blake, the mandibles sharp enough to tear through skin.

"Can you explain what this Peach?" Professor Goodwitch asked.

"Hmm, sort of, mostly just theories I've come up with... but it's a parasite, a new type of Grimm, definitely not one I've seen. They were too attached to the stomach of the Grimm-Talker I fought – by the way that's what he referred to himself as." Parasite Grimm? Jaune took a mental note.

"You said it was attached to him... the girl I fought had one too." Weiss added, cupping her chin in thought. But how did Professor Peach get so much information?

"I suppose you just happened to snag a couple of pictures with that device while you fought?" Jaune leaned in to get a closer look at the object, noticing a few tiny cameras where the red lights were emanating from.

"Anyway, my theory is that this so-called parasite is transferring brain waves to the other Grimm, and that's how these kids are doing it. We rip those suckers out and they won't have the abilities anymore!" That was... quite a theory, but it strangely made sense.

"I didn't understand any of that." Yang dryly said.

"Basically its telekinesis, mindreading, etc. Though I feel bad for those kids, they don't realize its killing them..." Jaune looked up at Peach.

"It's killing them, how?!" Ruby asked first, climbing over Yang with a look of sadness in her tiny silver eyes. Did they even know?  
"Let the professor speak please!" Professor Goodwitch said.

Peach let out another chuckle. "Um, yes... the parasite, if what I believe is true, it's sucking the aura from them, slowly taking away their life force as sustenance. Again, this is all theories, but based on the data..." Professor Goodwitch let out a sigh.

"Then we need to tell them, they might not attack us if they knew, right?!" Ruby suggested with a naïve smile directed toward Yang.

"Good luck with that," Weiss said with a huff. "You just heard they tried to kill Professor Peach, and don't forget about what happened in the forest!" Jaune wanted to agree with Ruby, that perhaps they could listen to reason, but...

"Hey, she's just making a suggestion ice queen!" Yang retorted.

"Not a very intelligent one – besides, we're leaving tomorrow." Ruby became disheartened at the realization, having forgotten the professor's earlier announcement.

"But, they could die..."

"They still have a chance to live, we just have to take those parasites off them fast. But listen kids, old Glynda is right about yall not being able to handle this." Peach gave Ruby a soft pat on the shoulder.

"Night is drawing, we'll leave first thing in the morning. I suggest you all get dinner and sleep well, put your worries to rest. I promise that I and Professor Peach will not allow this travesty to go unnoticed." A calm silence followed her speech, and she left promptly.

Yang remembered that Jaune wanted to speak with Peach alone and dragged Ruby along with her. Weiss hesitated, looking back at the polyhedral device that powered down and then back to him, eyes shimmering in worry. The sound of her heels became a distant sound, and she closed the door, leaving him and the eccentric professor alone.

* * *

"So you wanted to talk with me Jaune?"

He sat down back in a chair opposite of the table and shifted, avoiding eye contact with the professor. The subject was raw and he wasn't sure how to broach it. Should he just admit his fear and see what she says, or voice his concerns about what happened in the forest? Jaune released a deep sigh and finally steadied his gaze onto the professor, a goofy smirk still present on her face. She always found a way to make the best of anything depressing, even her constant setbacks years ago.

"Do you ever, become scared on the battlefield?"

Peach's eyes widened. "Oh, so that's what this about, hmm, is this related to what happened in the forest? Are Grimm still scaring ya?" Jaune shook his head, allowing blonde locks to obscure his expression.

"No... I mean the Grimm are still terrifying in their own way but, I'm talking about people – I, don't want to hurt anyone, it's just not in me." Peach's smile left, replaced by a thoughtful glance.

"Is this all too much for you, the Grimm-Talkers and Merlot?" The hesitation to respond was his answer. And that begged the question: if he continued to follow team RWBY, would he go further down the rabbit hole?

"Jaune, look at me," Peach almost demanded. "This is why Glynda is sending you kids home, so you don't have to worry about this. You were trained to heal people, and just because you're taking up the sword, doesn't mean it has to be directed at another human being, no matter how hypocritical it might sound." She flashed a reserved smile and gathered up her device on the table. He missed such advice from his mother.

"Thank you, I think I can sleep easier now."

"But you should tell everyone, don't keep it a secret – no one will judge you for being honest with your feelings." Peach left with those words, humming a small tune as she exited the room with a skip.

* * *

The porch outside of the inn was surprisingly peaceful compared to the shouts and drunkards that paraded about inside the establishment. Blake enjoyed the cool air against her exposed legs and sat back to admire the last dip of the sun before it vanished from the sky. She never meant to leave in a huff during the meeting but she felt it was wrong to just leave the people of this village to those monsters. And then everyone just sat back and agreed with it!

Maybe professional Huntsman or Huntresses could deal with it, but how long would that process take; weeks, days, maybe even a few months. Dr. Merlot chose this location because it was isolated, and now they knew he was here. If he was brilliant as Professor Goodwitch said, he wouldn't stay here long, probably gather a few more specimens and leave.

Her trail of thought was cut by the arrival of Jaune, who approached with caution. She released a sigh and moved over for him to take a seat next to her. Judging by his expression, he was unsettled about something, but he still wore a smile as if to put at her ease.

"I'm sorry for marching out of there."

"Uh, it's okay, I know why you're mad, just - can I tell you something Blake?" She caught the hitch in his tone and craned her neck to look over.

"Are you... okay?"

"I am now, to be honest Blake, I'm glad we're leaving, this is something I'm not ready for. People that can talk to Grimm?! It's fascinating and all, but not if I have to bring them back in a body bag... I can't kill someone, even if it was possible against someone so strong." Her mouth parted to rebut, but she fell silent, unaware of how he was feeling all this time.

She was proud he killed a Grimm, but he could never do what she had done in the past... and she didn't want him to.

"I'm such an idiot," Blake dropped her face into her palm. "I always rush into things without considering everyone's opinion. Not like I can convince Professor Goodwitch anyway." Jaune released a chuckle and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"We should rest, especially back at Beacon, I could use a night of relaxing." Blake nodded in agreement, a night of not fighting Grimm sounded fun.

At the door to the inn, Weiss observed from a distance. She caught Jaune's conversation with Peach and berated herself for thinking that he might be ready for such an ordeal. She followed in hopes of discussing it with him, to assure him that she would not allow such a circumstance to take place while he trained under her. Instead he ran to Blake, the stubborn girl who wanted to rush into battle and save the village. A noble effort, but one pass their expected skills.

Why did it upset her that he went to Blake?

* * *

"Screw that bitch, I'll kill her, you all hear me, that bitch is dead, every limb is coming off!" Burgundy screamed in pain as Dr. Merlot operated on his severed arm.

He lie on a makeshift operating table with mechanical gadgets and parts strewn about the room. An IV tube ran from his other arm and trailed across the ground near where Sherry and Pinot sat in annoyance. Merlot was proud of their work, but a few unexpected setbacks threw a wrench in an experiment that was planned for weeks. But what joyous ones, to think there were opponents that could test his subject's abilities to the limit! It made him thrilled, and they were perfect to round up his results before delivering to the queen.

"Please hold still Burgundy or I can't attach this prosthetic to your nerve endings. Pinot, can you fetch me some anesthetic from the other room?" The youngest of the three nodded, always the obedient one, though his snide remarks could use some working. He followed Sherry around like some child, becoming insulted and angered when he talked down to her.

"He shouldn't have gotten it cut off in the first place." Sherry giggled, doodling some illustration on a notebook he gave her.

"I told you to engage them, not come back with injuries. How many were there, you said they were strong?" He connected a filament into the first nerve, Burgundy letting out a curse by his ear.

"Six, the kids were students, well the male had a weird uniform. The real trouble was the professor, she had blonde hair and used some gravity semblance." Merlot hesitated in the next connection and hummed in delight.

"Glynda... is she really here?"

"That pink-haired bitch called herself Peach," Burgundy rasped with gritted teeth.

Once the final connection was in place, Burgundy collapsed on the table, panting at an erratic rate. Merlot wiped the sweat from his brow and took off the sanitized glove. "This changes everything, we can use this opportunity presented to us. You three should realize how fortunate you are."

"Here you go doctor." Pinot emerged from the other room and politely nodded. He took the bottle and filled up a sterilized syringe before inserting it into Burgundy's arm.

"You should be able to move the prosthetic by tomorrow, its resistant to most Dust types." He ignored the curious gazes of his subjects and walked over to his monitor, bringing up a folder from long ago.

"Is something troubling you Dr. Merlot?" Pinot asked.

 _Oz... I've waited for this day, for us to meet and realize why you and those dogs of the council were wrong. The only thing that could attract your presence just fell into my lap, and I'll take that chance._

"Burgundy, Sherry, Pinot," Merlot ordered. "Unleash the Geist I prepared, its finally time." They stood in fear at his smile, a grin that could break the hearts of anyone looking into the eyes of a madman.

 **Just to let everyone know, this is not an adaptation of Grim Eclipse the RWBY game, only the background information about Merlot which is canon in the universe is included.**


	15. An Unavoidable Dance

Not Even Aura Can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Fifteen: An Unavoidable Dance

 **Not much to say again for this chapter, but we're close to the finale of this particular arc. The second chapter of the revamped** _ **The Victim**_ **should be out soon as well, it's now called** _ **The Haunted**_ **in case anyone is confused. Also I'm working on a collaboration with a certain author you all probably know very well, so look out for that soon.**

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Jaune stirred in his sleep, rousing awake from the chirping of birds played in his ears from the window. He let out a moan and shifted under the covers, straining to open his eyes and look upon the faint light from outside. The scroll on the table next to his bed read 7:15, barely an hour before everyone needed to get up. Jaune let out a cursed mumbled and attempted to close his eyes and go back to sleep. But he couldn't, not after the dream he just experienced.

The setup was simple and familiar, beginning with him sitting at a table made out for ten people. From the doors his family walked in, smiles gracing their varying features as they sat down to enjoy the meal his mother prepared. Nobody said a word, eating their dinner in peace until it was time to speak of their business for the day. They all turned to him to give an answer, yet he said nothing, only returning a smile back at them. Then the faces morphed into something horrible, aberrations that twisted into looks of disappointment.

He sat up from the bed and let the covers slide off his exposed chest, rubbing his groggy eyes until he could make out the room. On the other side of the room Blake still rested, a slight purr escaping from her—it was pretty cute, but he wouldn't dare mention it. Jaune reached over to the side and put on a shirt on, lightly placing his feet onto the wooden floor. He made for the shower and prayed that enough hot water would be available for Blake.

They would all be leaving before noon and returning to Beacon, something that he was grateful for. Blake understood why now but that but didn't change her opinion, she was still pissed. Though, she wasn't blind either, realizing the threat they faced was beyond their skill level. Actually, he was confident RWBY could take them on, but not with him around. Going back to Beacon, it sounded weird, he felt like they were gone for months, and it made him realize he couldn't stay there forever.

Maybe he could ask Professor Goodwitch later. There were still some arrangements they had to speak of when he returned anyway. He still couldn't believe that he would be living with her during the summer. Professor-no, Glynda Goodwitch, was now legally his mother.

He twisted the knobs and felt the last drops of hot water trail down his back. A good shower always helped him to clear his mind when he felt down. Jaune's relaxed state didn't last when a rap on the door alerted him to Blake's presence. He cracked open the door and was greeted to her irritable face, drooping eyes staring back at him with a hint of disappointment. Blake's luscious hair was tossed around and pointing in all directions, causing him to almost chuckle.

"Did you really think you could sneak in without me knowing?"

"Maybe, I tried my best," Jaune answered with a smug grin.

Blake released a sigh and pushed the door open, walking past him with a towel in her hand and a blush on her cheeks. "If you dare to peak, don't expect to leave this room with every body part still attached." Jaune rolled his eyes and let Blake shut the door behind him.

Despite her humorous warnings, he couldn't help but imagine Blake's slim figure and creamy white skin exposed for him gawk at. She was beautiful like every other girl at Beacon, but something about her was distinct, an air of mystery that made her appealing. The mere thought made him blush and he hurried to put on his armor, hoping that she couldn't read his thoughts.

He only brought one bag that contained medicine and supplies in case anything happened, so he decided to go downstairs early and catch breakfast. Yang and the others valued their beauty sleep, so he didn't expect to see them until right on the dot. If there was one thing he learned spending time with RWBY, it was that he always woke up the earliest.

The inn was empty save for a couple men in the corner passed out on the table. He couldn't imagine ever getting that drunk, not when you couldn't remember a damn thing the next morning. Jaune took a table big enough for the rest of the group near the door and sat down. He stretched one last time and released a loud yawn, gaining the attention of the barmaid. She looked to be much older than him, but maintained a rustic beauty with her curly brown locks and freckles.

"What can I get for you?"

"Just some hash browns for now, I have one more coming and the rest will join later." She nodded with a friendly smile and walked back into the kitchen with his order.

The silence in the bar was unsettling almost, Jaune used to the raucous from its patrons on most nights. These people were able to brush aside a catastrophe with ease, joining in each other's revelry and celebrate each day as if it was a holiday. That resolve was admirable, something he lacked and struggled to attain. Was Blake right that they deserved better, that leaving them was a death sentence?

Jaune believed that Glynda was true to her word, that she would seek out help from professional Huntsman and Huntresses to ensure Mariani would receive protection. Not even the council would ignore the threat of individuals with the ability to speak with Grimm.

"Did you already order?" Blake's voice caused him jump.

She looked at him with an odd stare and sat down. "Sorry, was thinking about something..." The barmaid returned and set down a plate full of hash browns that sizzled, the aroma causing his stomach to growl in excitement.

"Having second thoughts?"

Was he? It was true he was worried, but he still had faith in Professor Goodwitch. And when was he going to stop calling her that?

"How do you think these people survive out here?" It was a simple question, but he was curious as to how Blake would respond. She put down her fork and looked at him with a curious gaze, those amber eyes unnerving him.

"I suppose like anyone else close to the wildlands: hunting for resources and food, patrolling the walls they built and maintaining them. The villagers also probably send a couple of people into the cities." That made sense, but he was talking more about the Grimm.

"What about Grimm?"

"They probably hired Huntsman," Blake curtly responded. "Villages usually send out contracts to major cities where a Huntsman or Huntress accept the offer. You probably didn't know this though." She was right, for all his ambitions of once wanting to become a Huntsman, he knew little about the process accepting jobs.

"So with Professor Goodwitch's backing, I'm sure they'll receive help immediately." Blake remained quiet, nibbling on her food.

"I'm sure once the headmaster hears of this..." Jaune continued to reassure himself.

"We can still convince them to stay, it's not too late," She urged. "You it will take too long to send someone out here—I know that you care for these people Jaune." She placed her hand on top of his, and froze.

Jaune blushed, the warmth from Blake's hand sending a fuzzy sensation throughout his body. It was akin to the butterflies that his mother described once when she met his father. He found his throat dry up as he struggled to respond to Blake's suggestion. She wasn't wrong, it probably would take time to send professionals out to the village, but that didn't change the fact that they weren't ready. He didn't want to see any of them hurt, and he never wanted to Blake in a body bag.

Not again.

"No... I think this is best, we're just not ready Blake." She retracted at his statement, letting go in an instant. Blake picked up her utensils and continued to eat, a clear look of disappointment painted across her face.

* * *

The hour passed with barely any conversation, all because he turned down Blake's offer. He was sure she agreed last night that they should return to Beacon, yet perhaps she was looking for a sliver of hope. More patrons began to fill the inn once the sun rose in the sky, and eventually he heard the mumblings of his teammates. Yang hopped down the stairs and saddled up next to Blake, though she caught the morose expression on her face. Thankfully she chose to keep quiet.

Ruby was followed on the steps by an irate Weiss, the two of them arguing over bathroom privileges. He was glad the rest of the girls were at least happy, it would help steer the conversation away from the village's plight. There was still no sign of Professor Goodwitch or Peach; they were probably busy getting things settled with the mayor. And knowing Natsuhiko he would probably flirt until she knocked him out cold.

He would love to see that.

"So you guys excited to go back to Beacon?" Yang asked with a slight muffle, a hash brown from Blake's plate hanging from her mouth.

"Oh I can't wait, especially with the upcoming Rainbow Festival!" Ruby exclaimed in excitement, her silver eyes sparkling with vigor.

"Rainbow...?" Jaune asked in amusement

"What in the world is a Rainbow Festival? And isn't the Vytal Festival supposed to take place later in the fall?" Weiss asked with mild curiosity.

Ruby bobbed in her seat and slammed her hands on the table with a large grin that split her face. "I'm surprised you guys haven't heard of it! In Vale, we have a festival every year that celebrates the color naming convention!" It must have been a Vale tradition, they held similar events within Mistral.

"Basically it's an excuse for everyone to party," Yang said.

"That's not true! But it is a lot of fun, they have carnival rides and shows—they even have blacksmiths from around the kingdom that come to display their work!" And there was why Ruby was so hyped up about it.

"It does kind of sound like fun, I don't remember hearing about it in my first year of school." Then again I was always cooped up in my room.

"A chance to relax once we return is welcomed, but don't expect our training to get any easier." Weiss responded with a look in his direction. She meant it too, he was about to succumb to a regiment of hell.

"What's even better is that our dad will be out there hosting an event for Signal." Ruby explained, huffing down her food in an exited manner and unbelievable speed.

"Dad's coming again huh... hope it's hilarious like last year's disaster." Yang said with a chuckle. Ruby looked down at her plate in embarrassment.

"What happened?" Blake asked.

Both sisters looked between each other with hesitant stares and giggled. "Well...," Ruby began. "Dad was supposed to configure a large firework display for one of the show's concerts, but it didn't go that smoothly."

"More like the tent caught fire and exploded," Yang continued to laugh. "Sparklers and Remnant candles were lighting up all over the place!" The rest of the group chuckled, while he imagined what kind of goofy man their father was.

He sounded better than his...

"Are you about ready to leave children?" Professor Goodwitch asked from around the corner. Peach stood next to her carrying a few stuffed bags of whatever materials she collected out in the forest.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Yang responded.

Professor Goodwitch nodded and checked her scroll, fiddling with the device until she was satisfied. "We've been informed that our pick-up will be in two hours, so during this time we should discuss how procedures will be handled once we all return to Beacon." She probably didn't want them spreading news about people talking to Grimm.

It would cause mass panic.

"What procedures?" Ruby awkwardly asked, butchering the pronunciation of the word.

"We should probably talk about this outside the inn." Professor Peach suggested, the volume from the patrons increasing around them.

Jaune paid for the meal despite protests from his friends, and they were led outside. In a rare sight since their arrival, the clouds were gone, a blue sky that was massive as the ocean looking back down upon them. The sun's powerful rays caused him to shield his eyes, but it gave the rest of the forest a lush color. Mariani was beautiful to look at when it wasn't covered in mud and rain, and the trees appeared renew and filled with life. The view on the way back would be picturesque, a reminder of how beautiful Remnant could be without the Grimm.

There were a few wooden benches outside the professor led them too, and it was away from the prying ears of customers. This would be the last time he got to visit Mariani, at least for several years if he decided to visit again. The lifestyle was tempting, but there were too many people around the world that needed his help and expertise. The only thing he could do now was pray that no sudden attacks befell on the quaint village. Maybe one day, he could retire to a place like this, if he had a family to take care of.

For some strange reason, he looked toward the girls.

"Now that everyone is settled, I think its time you know how this situation will be handled." Professor Goodwitch announced like the teacher she was.

"Let me guess, keep our mouths shut?" Blake voiced with disdain.

"Yes, Miss Belladonna, perhaps we'll also talk about your attitude towards your respected peers when we return to Beacon." Blake looked away, knowing full well she deserved the punishment from her.

"There's no reason to be so mean to the children." An old voice said from across the bench. Professor Goodwitch turned around slowly, eyes widening in shock.

He didn't recognize the voice or the man who spoke, but was fascinated by his almost robotic appearance. The messy gray hair definitely gave away his age, but his eye, it was red as blood and reflected off the sun with a metallic gleam.

"Now this is bold." Professor Peach voiced.

"It's been a long, Dr. Merlot."

* * *

Weiss reached for her weapon upon hearing the name. Her friends mimicked her motions, pulling out their weapons and training them on Merlot without question. Merlot relaxed his stance and gave off a sinister grin, keeping both of his hands within his pockets. He wasn't threatened at all by their display, eyes focused only on the professor. She wanted to freeze him in place right there, but Professor Goodwitch motioned with her free hand for them to lower their weapons.

"You trained them well, I expected the heiress to attack first." She gave off a grimace, the disgusting sneer on his face enough to make her vomit.

"Tell me why I shouldn't break every bone in your body?" Professor Goodwitch asked, her other hand gripping the riding crop on her waist.

"Because I wish to speak with you, it's been years has it not? At least give me a chance to explain myself before you try to kill me." Professor Goodwitch appeared wary, narrowing her eyes and thinking over the prospect.

"We can't trust him!" Yang whispered.

"Maybe we should hear what he has to say..." Jaune suggested, earning a look of disbelief from the others. Weiss was inclined to agree with Yang, nothing this man said could justify his insane experiment.

Controlling the Grimm only spelled doom.

"Very well... you have five minutes." He clapped at the response and took a seat on the bench next to them, eyeing Jaune with particular interest.

"Before I start, I have to know," Merlot said in an excited tone. "Mr. Arc, your family is quite famous, but I don't care about any of that—what is that uniform your wearing?" Jaune looked to the others for assistance.

He released a sigh pointed to the badge on his shoulder where the body armor left a gap. "I'm a student... of the Vale Medical Preparatory school, I'm serving as a field medic for this team." Merlot hummed in curiosity, tapping his robotic fingers on the wooden bench.

"How strange, a medic wielding a weapon, how contradictory." Jaune said nothing at his response, stepping toward the back of the group.

"Enough banter," the professor shouted. "What is it you wish to tell us? You obviously didn't come out here to share campfire stories." Merlot chuckled, turning his head to glance at Professor Peach.

"You've all grown, making me look an old grandpa. Tell me Glynda, do you think the Grimm can ever be defeated?" Professor Goodwitch stared at him with an inquisitive look.

"Defeat? That's a broad term, the Grimm will always be here, and the only thing we can do is reduce their numbers and try to expand our territories." Weiss tried to maintain her grip on Myrtenaster, but lifting it was tiresome, so she lowered her weapon.

Just because the professor said to, didn't mean she would.

"But that's not true... and you know it. How do you think I accomplished what I have? _She_ , granted me this gift, to allow for other people to communicate with a force of nature that we never understood." She didn't understand anything the old man was babbling, yet the look on the professor's face said otherwise, her expression of unease obvious.

"You've... spoken to her?"

"Of course, we've spoken numerous times! You know how powerful she is, how she controls them, if we took her down the world would be at peace. Imagine an army of Huntsman with the ability to control the Grimm? My experiments have always been for the greater good, to make sure another mistake like Mountain Glenn never occurs!" Professor Goodwitch let out a sigh.

"It's ok to be wrought with guilt, Merlot." His face twisted in anger, his robotic finger shaking.

"What happened there, none of us meant for all those people to die, but now I can make it right—they think I'm working for them, you have to convince Ozpin and the council!" Weiss could only describe the expression on Professor Goodwitch's face as pity, regret that a man could be broken by his mistakes.

"You know that's not true... this isn't right, we can't play god, and by aiding anyone that believes themselves to be so powerful, it's troubling. Don't let them manipulate you like this Dr. Merlot, turn yourself in and help us." Everyone remained silent and waited for his answer.

"She's right Merlot," Peach added. "You're smarter than this." Merlot broke out into a guffaw, brushing his disheveled hair with his mechanical arm.

"She was right about all of you, so naïve..." Merlot snapped his fingers.

The villagers who glanced at the conversation nearby scattered when three Beowolf's strode through the gate, all three of them acting as transportation. The girl, Sherry, was on one of them, joined by two other boys. The boy on the left was rugged in appearance, wearing a dirty red tunic with a loose belt fastening his shorts. He looked at them with cold brown eyes, while most of his facial features were hidden by a red cloth. She would have admired the shoulder length brown hair that was braided, but his disgusted look erased that thought.

On the right was a shorter boy, his tousled short blonde hair dancing against the breeze in the center of the village. He looked to be about Ruby's age, but it was hard to discern from his shy expression and dead blue eyes that stared into the air. If they were like Sherry, they could order the Grimm like soldiers.

"At least take this battle outside the village!" Blake yelled.

Her complaints fell on deaf ears as more Grimm climbed over the gates, Ursa and Boarbatusks filing in. From the ground Creeps jumped out and began to attack some of the villagers, the local guard springing into action to fight them back. Everything was in chaos, and a fire erupted behind them at the local inn. Weiss moved without thinking, forming a simple glyph that shot a cold mist near the center of the fire.

"Children, take care of the Grimm and those three Grimm Talkers, I'll handle Dr. Merlot." He laughed at her orders, snapping his fingers again.

She watched as Professor Goodwitch stepped back in time to avoid a sinkhole. From the ground the tail of a King Taijitu whipped itself into the air, lifting Dr. Merlot onto its back and away from danger. The professor moved in to attack, but a large boulder obstructed her path. The rock moved by itself, as if alive, meaning it could only be a Geist. And she was correct when it emerged from the object, only... the Grimm appeared off and strange.

The Geist floated in the air and wiggled its arms in a witch-like motion, but on its back were green crystals that protruded outward like shards. The outlines of its mask were also tinted green, forcing Professor Peach to step forward with a confident smile.

"Kids you take care of the Grimm and the other guys, I'll handle the mutated Geist—trust me I'll explain what it is later!" Peach waved them off.

She didn't question the order, whipping her head back to break Ruby out of her shock. "Ruby, you and Jaune go take care of the Grimm and save the villagers—the rest of us will focus on these so-called Grimm Talkers." Ruby was about to protest, but she followed Jaune's sight, his quivering body putting her on edge. He was being overwhelmed by the numbers before him.

But She had business to finish with Sherry.


	16. A Bloody Dawn

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Sixteen: A Bloody Dawn

 **Not much to say about this chapter, it will be a brutal fight between Merlot's forces and RWBY. I would like to comment on Jaune's ability or lack thereof to fight the Grimm in this story and what his power level is. At the moment he has barely started to train with Weiss and the others, so he won't magically be able to take on a horde of Beowolves or Ursai anytime soon. Now will he ever get that chance?**

 **Of course he will, but there has to be a gradual buildup or it's not realistic in my opinion. He isn't just standing in the background to look pathetic. He will get his chance to shine, do not worry.**

* * *

His feet were heavy as they sunk into the dirt. Jaune followed Ruby and examined the damage from the collapsed buildings the Grimm's invasion caused. Even from their position he could make out the sound of gunfire and muffled roars, only imagining what kind of battle was taking place. Again he was reduced to the sidelines as his friends took the enemy head on; but he couldn't really complain. He was a medic, and people needed his help right now.

They reached a house that caved in near the center of the village, the wooden roof was splintered and the curtains were torn to shreds. Glass from the window panes was strewn across the dirt and Jaune could hear the anguished moans of pain from the people trapped inside. Ruby should have left him to fight with the others, but they thought he needed a bodyguard. He wouldn't argue-especially not in the middle of the chaos.

Jaune kicked the door open and broke the cracked hinges, stepping over a broken stool that lie in the middle of the floor. Ruby stayed outside with anxiety etched across her innocent features. The moans grew louder as he turned the corner, and he spotted an elderly couple sprawled on the ground; their bodies were covered in bruises and cuts.

"Ruby get in here!"

She rushed over and drew a breath, her silver eyes widening in distraught. "Are they okay Jaune?!" She whispered, perhaps afraid to speak louder.

"They'll be fine if we get them out of here," he grunted, lifting the older man onto his back. Ruby did the same with the elder woman. Her face scrunched up at the weight on her back, yet she bared through it and followed him outside.

"Lie them on the ground." Jaune ordered like a professional doctor, glad that his bag was next to him when Merlot popped out of nowhere.

The old man's clothes were torn and splotched with blood on the sleeves. The few minor cuts that traveled across his face and arms needed only to be disinfected. On the left side of the man's neck, a purple hue was spotted; the mark of the bruise was about the size of a golf ball. Jaune checked the man's breathing, and found it was labored, though not enough to cause him great alarm. The bruise was likely from a head injury; the man might have fallen from the stairs when the house collapsed.

Too bad Weiss wasn't around to make some ice.

"Jaune," Ruby called. "The woman is awake!" His eyes glanced over to the elder woman.

Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a low grunt. She carefully sat up and rubbed her eyes, adjusting the tiny glasses that broke on her nose. She appeared fine save for a few scratches on her arms. "Where's my husband, he protected me from the house!" She asked in a panic.

"He'll be okay, he suffered bruising around the neck, but if he takes it slow and applies ice he should be okay." Jaune didn't see any signs of a concussion but the couple was lucky to even be alive.

His lips stretched into a thin smile when he saw Ruby let out a breath of relief. The woman hugged her husband and he awoke soon after, the muttering of thanks directed toward him almost going unnoticed.

Fires broke across the village, and a few people were desperately trying to search through the rubble for any survivors. There were too many people to take care of by himself, not with Grimm possibly roaming about. It was strange they had yet to attack anyone away from the entrance where Yang and the others were battling. Or maybe not-they could speak with the Grimm, so coordinating their efforts on the five of them would be child's play.

"Can you help us son?" A man called out from across the house. He broke out of his slump and concentrated his gaze on the farmer, the man's hands shaking and covered in blood.

"What's wrong?" He rushed to the farmer's side and was escorted down a trail.

"One of the explosions caught my son, he burned his leg really bad-we applied some water and tried to dry it but he's not getting better." The farmer explained in a rush, leading him finally to a medium-sized building that read "the mayor's office" in bold red letters.

The doors swung open and revealed that most of the tables inside were pushed against the wall, replaced with lines of beds that wounded individuals now occupied. Jaune's mouth remained agape at how many people needed treatment-he needed to focus on one patient at a time.

"Quickly show me to your son." He barked.

Ruby stood frozen at the doors, her silver eyes darting across the room with mixed reactions. Like him, she probably never saw so many wounded at once. Bloodied bandages littered the floor next to buckets of cold water and towels. The injuries varied from lacerations to major burns across people's bodies. Jaune turned to face Ruby and grabbed her shoulders; he released a minor gulp in the process.

"You don't have to look at this-can you stand guard outside, please? I know you would prefer to help Yang and the others, but we have to help these people." Ruby took a second to process what he was saying and nodded slowly.

She glanced once more at the scene and scurried out the door. Despite how she acted, she was stronger than him in many ways... resolute in her beliefs.

Jaune followed the farmer toward the back of the room and ignored the smell of burning flesh. He approached the table and sat his bag on the ground, looking over the young boy in his early teens. The boy was unconscious and his body was clammy from the sweat; the right leg on the bed was wrapped in bandages that were worn and brown from the dry blood. Jaune pulled out a stethoscope and placed it on the boy's chest to hear for a heartbeat. It was faint.

He carefully undid the bandages and observed the wound, the redness and white splotches indicating a second-degree burn. With a burn like that it wouldn't be too serious, and he probably wasn't suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Jaune pulled out a jar of antibiotic cream and put some sanitized gloves on. With careful motions he applied the cream and wrapped new bandages around the leg.

A calm breath escaped him and he wiped his brow with a rag. The farmer's son would live. "He should be okay, just make sure to check the wound so it doesn't get infected."

The farmer nodded with palpitated eyes and rushed over to his son, enveloping him in his arms with a cry of relief. The injury wasn't that serious, but the farmer had no way of knowing that. It was nice to see his skills be put to use and make people happy; it's the reason why he chose this profession. His celebration was cut short by a tug on his sleeve, turning around to see a morose looking Natsuhiko.

The mayor who for the last twenty-four hours flirted with Professor Goodwitch and jovially drank with his fellow villagers knitted his brows in worry. His head was bowed, and his eyes were hidden by dark tresses that concealed his fear. Jaune noticed the faces of other villagers in the hall train their hopeful eyes upon him as if he were some savior. It put him on edge-how was he supposed to respond?

"Mr. Arc, I know I've been somewhat of an ass these past few hours," Natsuhiko softly voiced. "But please don't let my actions impact the fate of these people." Natsuhiko got on his knees and bowed further, his face almost touching the stained concrete floor. He could only blink in surprise.

"I wouldn't think of abandoning them-it's my job."

Natsuhiko lifted his head with an outstretched smile and said: "Thank you, we have more injured coming in, but I have some of my people creating barricades." Those makeshift barricades would only protect them from lesser Grimm, and only for a certain amount of time.

But that was why Ruby was with him.

"Ruby is outside, she'll protect us-in the meantime, who else is seriously injured?" Natsuhiko motioned for him to follow.

He just hoped that the others were doing okay.

* * *

Weiss' rapier slid past Sherry's sparkling hair, cutting only a few strands that danced to the ground. She grunted as her heels skidded along the dirt, catching her balance against the force that propelled her. The chain attached to the pommel of Sherry's glaive whirled above the girl's head like a twister. Weiss' opponent was nimble, and she didn't know how to properly react to her movements. A group of Beowolves and some creeps watched in earnest around them in zombie-like trances, drool sliding across their fangs.

She took the moment and stole a glance at Yang. Her opponent was younger looking, his face resembling that of a young child. Their movements were blurred, the two of them zipping across the battlefield at unbelievable speeds. She only caught Blake killing a few Grimm that crossed her path, but the third Grimm Talker was gone. Her eyes widened at the realization-they were going after Jaune and Ruby.

"Pay attention, bitch!" the wind from Sherry's glaive vanished and she pounced on Weiss with a massive thrust from her weapon.

She parried the thrust, the blade sliding against the backend of her rapier. Sparks flew from the metal like fireflies into the air. Weiss grit her teeth and pushed back the attack, but Sherry's momentum caught the heiress off-guard. Sherry stuck the blade into the dirt and propelled herself over Weiss to land behind her. She used the backend of the pommel and jammed it into Weiss' back, flinging the girl forward.

Weiss tasted dirt upon her lips, and mud splattered onto her combat skirt. Myrtenaster rolled away from her reach and stopped under Sherry's boot. A cackle followed but she didn't waste any time. She clambered onto her legs and jumped back, the glaive ripping the front of her jacket and exposing part of her skin. Weiss would have flushed in embarrassment, but she wouldn't satisfy the girl in front of her.

"Weiss!" Blake shouted. She took Gambol Shroud and swung it overhead, splitting in half the bottom of an Ursa's jaw.

Weiss seized the distraction the yell caused and fished out a vial of red dust. It was a fire-based container that if used correctly might give her chance to retrieve Myrtenaster in the chaos. Blake didn't advance far in her attempt to assist her, the path becoming obstructed by another group of Beowolves. The Grimm Talker's strategy was simple but effective, splitting them up so they could take them out one-by-one. She hadn't even paid attention to Professor Peach's progress, having enough confidence in the woman.

The vial shattered against the dirt, and an eruption of flames and smoke threw off Sherry's balance. Embers that danced along the sides of the entrance struck some of the lesser Grimm and creeps burrowing underground and reduced them to ash. Dust was a volatile substance, and when not handled correctly was lethal: a good example being Ruby's explosive introduction when she arrived at Beacon.

The results were favorable.

Against her better judgment and fashion sense, Weiss, slid on her stomach to snatch the rapier from the ground. Mud smeared across her bolero jacket and sleeves, caking her illustrious hair with patches of dirt. With her weapon in hand, she rolled back onto her legs and formed a glyph under her feet. The increased speed would allow her to catch Sherry off-guard-hopefully.

Her launch was successful, and Sherry turned around too late. Myrtenaster's tip struck her opponent's thigh, the blade gliding against Sherry's aura. Even without a readout like in their practice sessions in class, Weiss knew that Sherry took a massive hit. She slid across the dirt and slowed her descend with widened eyes, a thin smile etched on her face. Sherry cursed and clutched her thigh.

"That was dirty...," Sherry spat.

"Your trying to kill me, I think it was fair."

Sherry guffawed at the statement. "I don't need some _brat_ , whose been given everything she could possible want, patronizing me!" Weiss winced at the remark. It was more specific then her usual taunts.

Within that emotional fury, a stray Ursa charged at Sherry with bloodthirst in its deep blood-red eyes. Sherry let slip another curse and sliced it in half with her glaive, the separate parts collapsing onto the ground like sliced meat. Yet, Weiss noticed the brief moment when the Grimm under her control regained its senses.

She could use this to her advantage.

"Seems you can't even control your own pawns!" Weiss attempted to taunt. Sherry's eyebrows dipped in anger, and if it was cartoon, steam would be emitting from her ears.

"Shut up!"

Sherry's eyes blinked rapidly, the irises in her eyes changing to a dark green color. Weiss thought nothing of it at first, but then her vision became warped. Everything in front of her twisted into amorphous shapes, causing her to wretch in her throat from the sheer dizziness. The only thought running through her mind was that it was Sherry's semblance. She couldn't stand up straight, tumbling onto her knees and closing her eyes so she could settle herself.

Sherry's eyes could change colors, each shade having a different effect on her opponent. Weiss assumed it only froze people.

In Weiss' temporary blindness, Sherry, raised her glaive above her shoulders and stood over the heiress. Blake left a clone in her place for the few creeps and Boarbatusks on the ground to mess with. She dived in front of Weiss and raised Gambol Shroud in time to deflect the girl's blade, leaving Blake an ample opening to attack.

Blake used the backside of her sheath that detached from Gambol Shroud's blade and slammed it into Sherry's thigh, the metal breaking past her aura and crushing whatever ribs the girl once had. Her body flung across the dirt like a rag doll and she slid in the mud. Weiss shook her head clear of the vision and noticed Blake standing over her with panted breath, a stream of sweat pouring across her features.

"Blake, are you okay?" Weiss pushed herself up and checked her friend for any wounds.

"I'm fine, but it looks like I hit Sherry harder than I thought." Weiss looked over to the mangled form of Sherry and noticed the girl cough up a splotch of blood.

Sherry's body was propped up against one of the dented benches outside, her neck hanging loosely. She gripped where Blake hit and struggled to breath, the impact shattering her ribs and causing it to pierce her heart. Even if they pooled their aura reserves it wouldn't be enough to heal her injuries, especially without Jaune to aid them. Sherry would die within minutes if not sooner; so was the life of a Huntress.

"Pi...not," Sherry mouthed as blood pooled from her lips. "I'm...s-sorry." With a fragile outstretched hand, she grasped nothing but air, her arm collapsing to the ground as her body went limp.

The Grimm that were previously under her possession wiggled their heads as if awakening from a long dream. Their predatory eyes set upon Sherry's corpse. There was no record of Grimm feasting upon dead bodies, yet they were fixated on the bloodied figure.

"How pathetic." Merlot seethed.

Professor Goodwitch dodged another strike from the King Taijitu's tail, the impact leaving an indentation in the dirt. It was hard to fathom how the professor was having difficulty with a Grimm that could be swiped away like a gnat by a professional. Then, Weiss noticed the green crystals protruding from its back like the Geist earlier; Dr. Merlot had modified it to be more powerful.

"Just for you children to watch, I've directed the Grimm to feast upon that wench's corpse." Dr. Merlot proclaimed from above.

Weiss' face went pale at the exclamation, her eyes darting over to the Beowolves and Ursa that closed in on the body with starving eyes.

"That's awful, even for someone like her." Blake said.

"I won't allow it!" Weiss shouted, charging ahead with Blake and ripping through the Grimm with a determination she was missing before.

"SHERRY!" a child-like scream rang throughout the village.

* * *

Jaune released a tired sigh and wiped his forehead of sweat with his right arm. Both hands were covered in stained gloves from working on the wounded. Most of the people inside the mayor's residence were treated, and thanks to him, they would all live. He tore off the gloves and washed his hands in a nearby sink with a gratified smirk. It was really the first time he got to apply his skills in the field-and not on Huntsman or Huntresses, but actual citizens that needed it.

He almost forgot about Blake and the others in all the fuss, a rising guilt surfacing in his stomach. Poor Ruby was forced to stand guard outside while her sister fought to the death against a bunch of people with the ability to communicate with Grimm. He couldn't dare to understand how she was feeling; probably hopeless and afraid. He decided to take a break and go outside to see if she was okay.

When he opened the door, he found Ruby sitting on the porch. She tapped her tiny feet on the wood in tedious motions to pass the time. Her stomach growled in hunger and Jaune alerted her to his presence with a laugh. She blushed and covered her face with the hood attached on her back.

"A little hungry?"

"More than a little," she gave off a light chuckle.

Jaune pulled out a sandwich from his bag and handed it to the little reaper. Her eyes lit up in surprise and she snatched it from him, devouring the snack within seconds.

"Guess you were hungry," Jaune remarked in amazement. "Everything pretty quiet out here? I mean besides, the fires being put out." Ruby finished the last morsel of the sandwich and nodded.

"Yeah, not much happening-not a single Grimm has shown up." That was still odd, though with them being controlled their efforts were directed at the others.

"Did you fix everyone up?" Ruby asked with a sparkle in her silver eyes. She was genuinely worried about the villagers, and he admired that.

"Yeah, they'll live..."

"Can I play with you two?" A thundering voice shouted ahead of them. Ruby shot up to her feet and collapsed Crescent Rose into its sniper form.

He was aghast at what the man before them was holding. In Burgundy's right hand was a limp corpse, its throat crushed within his grip. Blood dripped between his fingers and dropped to the ground like tears.

"H-how could you?!" Ruby snapped. She shielded her eyes from the macabre display.

Burgundy tossed the corpse to the side like wet firewood and grinned. "He wasn't useful anymore-since I can't play with that bitch who injured me, you'll have to suffice." He twiddled with his mechanical fingers.

Jaune stepped back and retrieved his weapon and shield from inside, a bead of sweat pouring down his brow. He looked up at the villagers' faces, a look of confusion over the racket that was caused outside. Even though he gulped in fear, he wouldn't allow for their blood to be shed.

He was going to have to fight.


	17. Purpose

Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds

By wildstraydog

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

Chapter Seventeen: Purpose

 **Well I'm back from the holidays and it was worth the break. I got to think back on a lot of things and mull over some ideas for this year. It also gave me time to write on my novels which I barely had time for earlier this year, partly because of writing on here hah. At this point, I've learned that setting predetermined dates for my chapters is killing me creatively, so I'm getting away from that.**

* * *

Jaune crept away from the door where the villagers were being treated. Each step sunk into the dirt, and he caught himself releasing an audible gulp. His clammy hands gripped the sweaty hilt of his rapier. He stole a quick glance at Ruby and saw the same expression of confusion and terror tugging at her face. Burgundy, one of the Grimm Talkers, wiped his mouth with the back of palm and stained his chin with a smudge of dry blood.

Jaune assumed that they were preoccupied with Blake and the others, yet somehow he slipped through. He didn't expect one of them to be so bold and charge through the village with Grimm on his back. Ruby sprinted ahead with her semblance, leaving a trail of rose petals fluttering through the air. She flanked Burgundy's right, bringing down Crescent Rose with a broad stroke. Burgundy matched the attack with his teal vambraces.

Ruby pressed her blade against him with what little raw strength she could allow. Her attempt to shed away any aura was met with a sudden blast of air from his vambrace. Ruby's petite figure rolled across the ground near Jaune; her face was covered in dirt, and along her hands were a few scraps. Jaune had never seen a weapon like it. With a click, two shining blades sprung out from his wrists.

"You have speed girl, but you lack the strength to go head-on with me." Burgundy's apathetic tone stung Ruby, as if she wasn't worthy as an opponent.

"Don't let him rile you," Jaune called out.

"I know, he's just being rude." Jaune would have chuckled at her childish description of Burgundy's attitude were their lives not in danger.

Throughout the insults he slowly inched his way around Burgundy with careful steps. They needed to surround him and launch a pincer attack. Jaune already found it strange that he hadn't summoned any Grimm to assist in the battle-perhaps he found unbecoming of him? His blue eyes darted to the house across the street; through the blinds he could make out a few irises staring in fear.

There were still people inside...

"What are you looking at?!" Burgundy shouted.

To Ruby's surprise, Burgundy rushed past her defenses and charged at Jaune. The blade on his right wrist thrust at Jaune's midsection; he brought up his shield and took the blow, the metal from the shield vibrating against his fingers. Burgundy spun around and swiped his left arm forward, only for Jaune to parry against it with his shield. The flurry of attacks came as a shock, forcing him to go rigid and forget Weiss' training.

"Jaune!" Ruby clambered to her feet and spun into a whirlwind of petals that zoomed past Burgundy and disoriented him.

She flipped through the air like a skilled acrobat and collapsed Crescent Rose into it sniper form, unloading a few shots that kicked her back against the wind. Burgundy held up his vambraces and deflected the shots, countering with another shockwave that rippled through the air. Ruby flipped backwards and skidded along the dirt, her red cape fluttering in front of her face. Jaune saw an opening and decided to finally risk it, rushing forward with a quick thrust with his rapier. Sadly, Burgundy saw it coming.

Burgundy twisted his arm around Jaune's and popped it back. Jaune let out croak and tumbled to the ground, his face eating clumps of dirt. The amount of aura he sustained trickled in, helping him bear with the pain, but he struggled to crawl forward and reach for his weapon. Ruby dove in and thrusted the hilt of Crescent Rose into Burgundy's stomach, sending him flying backwards into the house.

"Are you okay, Jaune?!" Ruby asked in a panic.

"I... I'm fine, just concentrate on him, alright?" She almost cried, but held back the tears with a steadfast expression that encompassed her bravery.

"You, little, bitch!" Burgundy's curse was muffled by the sound of falling masonry that clattered against the ground. His boots cracked the glass from the windows that shattered; he was tough.

"Can you use your arm?" Ruby gently whispered.

Jaune looked down and slightly moved his muscles. A tingle of heat rushed through his arm, but he lifted it up and grabbed the rapier on the ground. "A little bit, it needs more time to heal." Ruby bit her lip at the news.

"Then I'll distract him... when you see another opening, make it count, okay!" He relented at her pushy attitude and nodded-yet in the back of his mind fear clouded his senses.

How was he supposed to defeat Burgundy?

Ruby kicked off the ground and shot a cloud of dust in his face. Jaune retained a steely gaze on Ruby's agile movements. A flash of steel collided with Burgundy's vambraces, each stroke being carelessly parried. They fought like equals, his broad shoulders popping as each fist was thrown. The blades attached to his arms whipped through the air and cut slivers of Ruby's hair that fluttered to the ground like ashes.

Through the exchanges, Jaune panicked. He could barely follow their movements and saw no opportunity to close in with a quick thrust. The vibrations from Burgundy's shockwaves plowed through some of the structures that surrounded the hall where Natsuhiko and the villagers were staying. Broken planks and various debris scattered across the dirt, leaving a cloud of dust that spread with the wind. Jaune caught his hand trembling and focused back on Ruby.

Ruby's tiny feet smashed into the dirt and sent clumps of mud spewing in his direction. The shield reflected most of it, the sound the tiny clunks made reminiscent of water trailing down an old pipe. Her breathing was labored and sweat pooled across her brow; Ruby wasn't known for her stamina, while Burgundy just stood there barely breaking a sweat. He had to tag in eventually and bear with the pain.

Again, Ruby closed in on Burgundy, bringing down Crescent Rose in a wide arc. The blade on his right arm collided with his vambrace-Ruby grit her teeth and pushed in, straining her aura against Burgundy's strength. The blade on Burgundy's left wrist slashed across Ruby's chest, the corset tearing and leaving a trickle of blood. She dropped and hit the ground like a ragdoll, her bright childish face turning pale as blood stained the mass of dirt she fell on.

Crescent Rose rattled on the ground next to her trembling hands. Jaune froze, his grip loosening on the shield until it fell with a thud. He found his vision become hazed, his body moving on its own in blind rage. The shield remained on the ground and he thrust his rapier, the tip gliding against the backend of Burgundy's right vambrace.

"Jaune..." Ruby croaked. A bit of blood spurt from her lips.

The sound of her frail voice didn't reach his ears. The clanging of the blades echoed and vibrated, his movements becoming faster with each motion. Burgundy came off as annoyed, parrying each thrust easily. Jaune didn't stop, thinking back to a previous lesson Weiss taught him.

Burgundy kicked Jaune in the abs and stepped forward, reaching back with his right arm to thrust the end of the blade into his throat. Jaune remained stable on his feet and hopped back, parried the blade and pierced Burgundy's arm with a clean thrust. Burgundy's hidden blade shattered into shards, and he shouted in agony.

"You bastard!" Burgundy clasped his other hand around the hole. Blood seeped through his fingers and stained his other vambrace.

"Ruby!" Jaune ignored Burgundy's wails and crawled toward her bloodied figure, the young girl releasing shallow breaths that tickled his face.

"Did... did you get him...?" Jaune ignored her strained question and grabbed the bag that was on the front steps of the office.

From the bag he pulled out a few bandages and a small plastic bag of IV fluid. He needed to stabilize the bleeding and put pressure on the open wound. Jaune pulled out a bottle of water and flushed out the dirty blood, then lifted her body and wrapped the bandages tight across her chest area. She was panting faster, her skin going pale from losing too much blood. She would need fluids immediately; problem was all this treatment was superficial, even at his level.

"I won't let you," Burgundy hissed.

Jaune turned around and received a fist that knocked him aside. He moaned in pain and desperately tried to get up and finish bandaging Ruby, but Burgundy continued his assault by forcing the end of his boot into Jaune's waist. The air was stolen from his lungs, leaving him to heave in short breaths. His aura quickly soothed the pain, but he knew Burgundy wouldn't stop with just a few punches and kicks.

"Please... let me save her," Jaune begged.

A chuckle escaped from Burgundy and he glanced back at Ruby's dying form; the only thing buying her time was her aura. Burgundy's scruff face twisted in glee with a wide smirk-he kicked a patch of dirt onto her body and flipped off Jaune.

"Why should I care, no one ever helped me."

 _How can he be so heartless?_ Jaune thought as he pathetically attempted to crawl toward his rapier. He found his heart beating rapidly, like a thunder in his chest growing louder and louder. His fingers went numb and a warm tickle coursed through his muscles.

Everything went white.

* * *

"Sherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!" Pinot's shrill voice roared across the grounds. He pushed aside Yang's punch and headed for Sherry's corpse.

Blake just sat there and watched as Pinot cradled her limp head in his tiny arms. He was clearly the youngest of the three, the pale cheeks and freckles that were darted across his nose gave him the appearance of a young teen. Pinot was bawling, a floodgate of tears bursting out from the dam and damping the mud below. Blake found herself trembling, for it was her that killed Sherry; but what could she have done? She wasn't just going to sit by and watch Sherry cut down one of her friends.

It was kill or be killed, simple as that. So why did she feel so horrible about it?

Pinot's handling of her lifeless head was tragic, the trail of blood that dripped across her chin spilled onto his hands. The child was murmuring into her ears with a hushed breath, then started to rock her body back and forth.

"Should we... do something?" Yang inquired. They looked upon the confused boy who cradled a bloodied corpse and questioned their mission.

"We never meant to do this," Pinot said aloud, focusing his red eyes onto Blake. She hitched at his devastated expression and sheathed Gambol Shroud; any threat he once presented was all but gone. "It was years ago, when Merlot picked us up... Sherry was taking care of me, she used to be in a hospital for her personality disorders."

Blake stole a glance at Weiss who nodded in silent agreement. While their battles were quite brief, it was obvious that she wasn't stable. Her mood swings and drastic shift in character told a darker tale of a young girl who wasn't given the proper treatment to live a full life. And Dr. Merlot, manipulated that for his twisted experiment.

"Burgundy isn't with us-just some crazed mercenary that the doctor picked up to mix up his guinea pigs." Blake still found it strange; if Pinot knew all this, why did he still comply with Dr. Merlot's insane machinations?

"Pinot... you can stop, we can take you to Beacon and give Sherry a proper burial," Weiss softly begged.

"I can't." Pinot whimpered.

From his right pocket, he fished out a small curved dagger that glinted off the dimming rays of the sun. The light hit the dry blood on his hands, painting a horrific scene. Blake choked on her gasp as Pinot drove the dagger clean through his throat, releasing a crimson stream upon Sherry's pale face. In a desperate but futile attempt, Blake rushed across the field with some miniscule hope that she could save him.

Her boots skidded against the dirt and she leaned down, pressing both palms onto the hole in his throat that continued to spill out. No amount of aura or strength would save him, yet she tried, biting her lower lip and pressing down harder with more pressure. Pinot returned a lifeless smile, and his eyes turned to glance over at Sherry's body. He died within seconds of Blake's spotty treatment. Her calloused hands were stained with blood, the red flakes chipping along the sides of her dirty palms. She inadvertently killed that boy.

An explosion roused in the distance, drowning out the guilt that surfaced within her heart. Yang approached cautiously from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder, gripping it with a warm intensity.

"Merlot broke them long ago," Weiss said through a hoarse whimper. They were vulnerable children manipulated by the system; just like many Faunus were.

"I'm sorry, Blake." Yang added.

"Professor Goodwitch needs our help." Blake muttered. She clambered to her feet and spun away from the bodies. Killing Merlot would be enough of a distraction.

"Weiss, you should go check on Ruby and Jaune," She suggested, unsheathing Gambol Shroud with a low hiss. Her amber eyes trained on the rapidly moving forms of Glynda and the King Taijitu Dr. Merlot rode.

The serpentine creature writhed with each motion, dodging the professor's attacks with coordinated gestures from Merlot. He controlled the Grimm like a puppet, his fingers twiddling away at the strings. The green crystals that protruded from the Grimm pulsated, flashing as it whipped its tail into a wall of rock and soil that Goodwitch uprooted with her semblance. But Merlot's face, it was twisted in a smile that lacked any empathy that once encompassed his soul.

"Are you sure...?" Weiss hesitated and noticed a few Ursa snap out of their mesmerized dazes from the spell that Pinot conjured.

"Go!" Weiss flinched but conceded to Blake's shout. She cast an ornate blue glyph beneath her feet that would increase her speed and headed further into the village.

She released a sigh and gripped the hilt of Gambol Shroud until the grooves pressed into her skin uncomfortably. It was rare for her to lose her composure over a boy she never knew... but his face when he died in her arms, it was too tragic. Not unlike the one she saw so many years ago when she was in the White Fang with Adam.

"Blake, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, let's just get this over with and go home." She whispered hoarsely.

Merlot deserved to die.

* * *

A webbing of white light that coalesced traveled across the tinges of Jaune's skin. Through his body, he could feel a sudden sensation of comforting warmth, as if every bone and muscle in his system was reinforced. The pain that lingered in his bruised legs faded away, the flickering light giving him the strength to climb up and seize his weapon from the dirt. Burgundy's narrowed eyes shimmered against the blaze of the white aura that danced around his body like a flame.

"Is that... your semblance?" Burgundy hissed.

He said nothing and placed his right foot forward. With each careful step he brushed past Burgundy's stunned form over to Ruby and bent down. Ruby's silver orbs were slit, the spark of life fading from her irises. Jaune placed both hands atop the wound and pressed down, spreading the white light until it enveloped her fragile form.

"I won't let you!" Burgundy launched his fist forward.

The bare knuckles were forced back, swinging Burgundy's right arm back in a jerk. He skidded across the dirt and grabbed a handful of mud that shot into his face. He emitted a low growl and stood up, clicking both vambraces together to shoot off a powerful shockwave that was capable of shattering bones. The air ripped and launched at Jaune, but he saw the ripple shatter a wall of ice that rose from the ground.

"I've got him, Jaune!" Weiss shouted.

Weiss' voice barely reached his ears, the vibrations of the barrier around him drowning out sound. Upon inspection of her wound, the slash was suturing itself, the cells of the skin closing up at an accelerated pace. This power was beyond anything normal aura or current scientific medicine was capable of-could it really be his semblance?

Ruby's eyes burst open and she jerked forward in a heaving fit. Her shrill chirp was still frail, but her trembling hand took hold of Jaune's. She parted her lips with barely a whisper, though he knew by that excited smile that she was going to live somehow. His concentration was broken when Weiss let out a moan of pain and was flung into his direction.

The heiress barely managed to stay on her feet, and the right side of her bolero jacket was ripped. A view of her creamy white skin was visible, along with a recent bruise from one of Burgundy's fierce punches.

"Weiss!" Jaune called out in a panic. He looked back down at Ruby who fell unconscious from shock. The light from his body dissipated into a viscous smoke that billowed into the sky. The surge of power that ran through his veins earlier was all but gone, yet he could still move.

"Enough of this," Weiss snapped, casting another glyph in front of her that shifted in a clockwise motion. A spark of lightning slithered within numerous shining orbs that filled the daylight in a white blanket.

The glyph released and sent a volley of lightning bolts at Burgundy, the bolts slithering through the air like frightened snakes. Burgundy braced his feet and held up both vambraces to deflect the attack; the electricity slammed into his arms and threw him back. Thousands of volts coursed through his body and caused it to convulse violently, throwing his back with a force that cracked a rib.

Burgundy collapsed into the dirt, spraying mud and rocks onto his charred armor. Soot covered his skin and the smell of burnt hair rose into the air where he lie. Parts of his hair were frayed, the highlight blackening across the stem, while his lips popped from the extreme heat. With his aura so low he took the brunt of the attack from Weiss; she reserved a great amount aura to release it, a sort of trump card in dire situations.

"How's Ruby?" She brushed Burgundy's sizzled corpse from her mind and ran over to join Ruby's side. She was resting, a steady breath allowing her stomach to rise in a paced rhythm.

"She'll be okay, I think."

"You think?" Weiss questioned. He still didn't know the full details about what happened, other than his extreme anger and sadness ignited a bright light from his soul. It had to be a semblance, but how was that possible?

It was known in his family that he barely had any aura, let alone enough to be a professional Huntsman. His predisposed condition was one of the reasons his father abandoned any hope of training him. So then how in the hell did any sort of semblance activate at all?

"We should move her inside," Weiss suggested, breaking him out of his prolonged stupor.

He scooped up Ruby and held her bridal style, taking her over to the hall where the other injured villagers were staying. They would probably have a spare bed that she could rest in until Dr. Merlot was hopefully defeated. That reminded him of Yang and Blake... they were still out there fighting a horde of Grimm at their backs.

"Not yet!" A garbled moan yelled.

Burgundy's tattering body pulled out a half-melted dagger and lunged at Weiss. The twinkling blade that smelled of burnt metal inched toward her frail throat that flattened in slow motion. Jaune dropped Ruby's unconscious form in a dash and jumped ahead of her, lifting his rapier forward until it pierced through Burgundy's heart, the tip of the blade puncturing every vital artery as it sliced through burnt skin.

A croak sounded over Jaune's trembling arms. Burgundy's limp body jerked forward and released a fountain of blood form his agape mouth. He quickly released the rapier from his opponent and crawled away, fiddling with his uniform stained in the dark liquid. A high pitched screech erupted from Burgundy's exposed blackened chest. The parasite that lorded over him cringed and flapped until its legs stiffened, drying out like a worn leaf in the flames. His life was gone.

Intentional or not, he, Jaune Arc, just killed a man.


End file.
